ermSn 


oFRomas  B: 


THE  SOUL  OF 
GERMANY 

A  TWELVE  YEARS  STUDY  OF 
THE   PEOPLE   FROM   WITHIN 

1902-14 


BY 

THOMAS  F.  A.  SMITH,  PH.D. 

Late  English  Lecturer  in  the' University  of  Erlangen 


NEW  YORK 
GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


.p-^n 


Copyright,  1915 
By  George  H.  Doran  Company 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Author's  Prefatory  Note vii 

I     The    German    Home i 

II    German    Schools  —  Intellectual    Bar- 
racks        17 

III  German     Universities  —  High     Schools 

of  Kultur  and  Brutality    ....     37 

IV  Religion  in  the  Fatherland    ....     60 
V    National  Character  and  Ideals  ...     86 

VI  The  German  Army  and  Courts-Martial  106 

VII  The   Germs  of  Aggression   from  Kant 

TO  Nietzsche 134 

VIII  Treitschke  —  Prophet  and  Historian   .   153 

IX  Treitschke's  State  and  its  Morality  .   169 

X  More    Treitschkiana 189 

XI  "The  Reptile  Yress''— Bismarck  ...   208 

XII  The  Seamy  Side  of  Kultur  ....  224 

XIII  Bauernfangerei 243 

XIV  The  Kaiser  of  Kultur 262 

XV  Naval     Crescendo 289 

XVI     ''Full  Steam  Ahead!" 304 

XVII     Peace,  War  and  Arbitration  ....  328 

Appendix    I. — Crime  in  the  German  Army  and 

Navy 345 

Appendix  II. —  Crime  in  England  and  Germany  348 
Index 351 

331088 


AUTHOR'S  PREFATORY  NOTE 

A  GREAT  deal  of  interesting  literature  has  appeared  dur- 
ing the  last  decade  treating  of  Modern  Germany.  The 
writer  has  studied  a  great  many  of  these  works,  and  has 
the  feeling  that  none  of  them  express  what  he  felt  and  saw 
during  twelve  years  spent  in  Germany.  There  is  nothing 
of  a  derogatory  nature  implied  in  this  remark,  for  the  present 
author  could  name  several  works  on  German  organization 
which  deserve  serious  study. 

Most  writers  have,  however,  restricted  themselves  to  some 
special  features  of  German  life,  and  in  the  most  cases  were 
objective  observers.  That  is  to  say,  they  were  Englishmen 
or  Americans  who  did  not  know  the  language  well  enough  to 
judge  and  feel  from  the  German  point  of  view,  or  were 
not  in  the  least  capable  of  "  feeling  German."  The  result 
has  been  that  their  writings  provide  for  the  most  part  valu- 
able descriptions  of  the  outward  and  visible  life  of  the  nation, 
but  they  give  no  subjective  reasons  for  these  phenomena  — 
they  do  not  describe  the  life-blood  pulsating  beneath  it  all. 

Germans  are  very  fond  of  asking  foreigners  the  question, 
"Nun,  haben  Sie  sich  gut  eingelebt?"  ("Have  you  got 
accustomed  to  the  life  ?  '*  or  "  Have  you  entered  into  the 
spirit  of  your  surroundings?  ").  In  reality  it  means  a  great 
deal  more:  "  Have  you  lived  yourself  into  your  surround- 
ings, and  become  a  part  of  them?"     In  order  to  reach  that 


viii  AUTHOR'S  PREFATORY  NOTE 

stage  a  great  deal  of  self-conquest  Is  necessary;  a  great  many 
years  must  be  devoted  to  the  language  and  customs,  and  in- 
cessant alertness  in  looking  at  things  from  the  other  man's 
point  of  view.  The  student  must  avoid  his  own  country- 
men, and  abjure  his  native  language;  above  all,  he  must  be 
equipped  with  unlimited  patience  and  inexhaustible  sympa- 
thy. If  he  approaches  everything  and  everybody  with  his 
own  national  tape-measure  and  preconceived  standards,  he 
will  make  little  progress. 

Large  numbers  of  Englishmen  have  wandered  about 
Germany  from  hotel  to  hotel,  and  obtained  information  from 
waiters,  hotel  secretaries,  and  German-British  Consuls.  The 
conclusions  of  such  students  are  worthless,  but  unfortunately 
many  members  of  the  House  of  Commons  belong  to  this 
category,  and  when  they  have  expressed  opinions,  their  words 
have  had  weight.  There  are  very  few  M.P.'s  indeed  who 
possess  thorough  first-hand  knowledge  of  the  German  Em- 
pire. Yet  Germany  has  occupied  the  entire  stage  of  Eng- 
lish foreign  policy  for  half  a  generation. 

The  writer  lays  the  greatest  emphasis  on  the  language 
qualification.  An  observer  who  is  not  able  to  feel  the  slight- 
est vibrations  of  the  language  —  no  matter  what  country  he 
is  studying  —  is  labouring  under  a  very  real  disability.  Na- 
tives must  not  be  conscious  that  a  foreign  element  is  in  their 
midst,  for  that  consciousness  makes  them  no  longer  truly 
natural  and  themselves. 

After  all,  the  language  is  the  life-blood  of  national  thought 
and  motive,  and  only  by  knowing  it  and  feeling  it,  so  as 
to  be  able  to  identify  himself  with  the  nation,  can  an  ob- 
server get  to  the  heart  of  things.  Most  Englishmen  whom 
the  writer  has  met  in  Germany  —  and  these  include  a  good 
number  who  have  posed  in  this  country  as  authorities  on 
Germany  —  merely  floundered  through  the  Fatherland,  ask- 
ing:    "What  shall  I  do  now?"     "How  shall  I  find  out 


AUTHOR'S  PREFATORY  NOTE  ix 

this  or  that?"  "What  is  expected  of  me?" — and  so  on. 
Many  of  them  were  delegates  sent  out  at  the  public  expense, 
ostensibly  to  study  German  methods  —  in  reality  to  have  a 
good  holiday  on  the  cheap.  These  gentlemen,  no  doubt, 
had  a  good  time,  and  reported  on  the  loving,  kindly  German, 
while  the  latter  was  amused  and  astonished  at  English  in- 
efficiency. 

Each  of  the  great  European  States  may  be  compared  to 
an  infinite  piece  of  patchwork.  There  is  some  sort  of 
jumbled  design  about  it,  yet  to  draw  conclusions  from  one 
of  the  small  insets  and  apply  them  to  the  whole  piece  leads 
only  to  error.  This  point  refers  to  authorities  who  have 
studied  a  city  or  province  and  ventured  to  write  on  seventy 
million  people. 

Men  who  have  not  known  half  a  dozen  Teutons  intimately, 
nor  actually  conversed  with  a  couple  of  hundred,  have 
favoured  England  with  their  experiences  and  conclusions, 
and  unluckily  they  have  been  hailed  as  seers. 

No  single  writer  is  able  to  write  with  absolute  finality 
upon  so  complex  a  mechanism  as  Modern  Germany.  What 
each  believes  he  can  prove  or  support  by  weight  of  evidence 
is  worthy  to  be  considered.  But  the  present  writer  thinks 
it  desirable  for  everyone  who  lays  claim  to  speak  with  author- 
ity on  Germany  to  state  frankly  what  opportunities  he  has 
had,  and  the  experiences  upon  which  his  theories  are  based. 
Hence  the  author  takes  this  opportunity  to  inform  his  read- 
ers that  he  was  so  absorbed  in  the  task  of  studying  Germans 
and  Germany,  that  he  only  visited  his  native  country  for 
sixty  days  during  his  twelve  years'  voluntary  exile.  He  has 
mixed  with  every  class  of  German,  and  never  missed  an 
opportunity  to  talk  with  the  workman  in  field  or  factory  — 
they  all  had  something  to  teach.  Above  all,  he  has  been  in 
close  touch  with  the  intellectuals  and  official  circles.  For 
eight  years  he  has  been  a  civil  servant  in  the  Bavarian  State 


X  AUTHOR'S  PREFATORY  NOTE 

service.  He  has  lived  for  weeks  at  a  time  in  the  cottages 
of  peasants,  and  been  treated  as  a  v^elcome  guest  in  the 
homes  of  the  rich. 

A  more  detailed  account  of  the  writer's  sojourn  in  Ger- 
many may  be  of  interest.  For  four  years  he  was  a  language 
teacher  in  the  Berlitz  School  for  Adults,  Nuremberg.  In 
1905  he  matriculated  at  Erlangen  University  and  after  eight- 
een months  entered  the  service  of  the  Bavarian  State  as 
English  lecturer  in  the  above  university.  In  19 10  he  com- 
pleted his  doctorate,  and  in  the  following  year  the  State  gave 
him  the  right  to  a  pension  which  included  complimentary 
Bavarian  citizenship.  The  latter  privilege  he  never  made 
use  of,  and  never  had  any  intention  of  doing  so. 

His  relations  with  the  German  authorities  were  always 
of  a  cordial  nature.  On  July  30th,  19 14,  his  wife  became 
very  anxious  with  regard  to  the  crisis,  and  on  the  following 
day  he  left  Erlangen  to  bring  his  family  to  England.  War 
with  Germany  intervened  and  his  return  to  that  country  be- 
came impossible.  After  serving  the  Bavarian  State  for  so 
long  he  believed  that  his  home  and  belongings  would  have 
been  safe,  especially  as  his  contract  —  signed  in  1907 — ar- 
ranged for  six  months'  notice  on  either  side. 

But  that  contract  has  proved  to  be  only  a  "  scrap  of 
paper."  On  October  22nd,  19 14,  the  Minister  for  Church 
and  School  Affairs  dismissed  the  writer  from  the  Bavarian 
State  service  because  he  had  left  Germany  —  a  course  which 
was  quite  justifiable.  But  when  the  author  appealed  to  the 
Bavarian  Government  to  advance  the  salary  due  in  lieu  of 
notice,  in  order  that  his  home  might  not  be  sold,  he  met 
with  a  curt  refusal. 

Hence  his  late  landlord  distrained  for  £20  rent  due  on 
January  ist,  1915,  and  his  late  master  —  the  Bavarian  State 
—  distrained  for  £6  los.  income  tax  due  on  the  same  date. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFATORY  NOTE  xi 

Since  then  no  information  has  been  forthcoming  with  regard 
to  the  sale,  which  took  place  early  in  January. 

Just  before  going  to  press  a  curious  development  has  arisen. 
A  long  letter  —  seven  foolscap  pages  —  has  arrived  from 
the  Bavarian  authorities  stating  that  the  author  is  to  be 
"  tried  "  by  the  "  Chamber  of  Discipline  for  State  Officials  " 
in  Nuremberg.  The  Minister  for  Education  in  Munich  has 
ordered  this  course  to  be  taken  in  a  letter  dated  March  8th, 
1915.  All  civil  servants  throughout  Germany  are  subject 
to  the  various  Chambers  of  Discipline,  which  bear  a  strik- 
ing resemblance  to  the  Star  Chamber.  By  these  instruments 
the  autocracy  is  able  to  smash  any  official  who  dares  to  think, 
speak,  or  act  contrary  to  its  wishes.  The  procedure  is,  of 
course,  secret,  and  against  the  Chamber's  findings  a  victim 
has  no  power  to  appeal.  Courts-martial  keep  the  army  and 
navy  in  order,  while  the  Chambers  of  Discipline  are  a  guar- 
antee that  University  professors,  clergymen,  teachers  in  the 
State  schools  and  all  other  officials  are  docile  —  even  supine 
to  the  will  of  the  State. 

The  offence  cited  in  the  "  charge  sheet "  is  Verletzung 
der  Dienstpflicht  (offence  against  service  duty)  and  consists 
in  expressing  anti-German  opinions  in  letters  written  to 
four  Germans  during  December,  19 14,  and  January,  1915. 
The  Committee  has  heard  these  four  persons  on  oath  and 
confiscated  the  letters.  Three  of  them  belong  to  the  male 
sex,  while  the  fourth  is  an  invalid  lady.  She  has  been  com- 
pelled to  make  a  statement  and  give  up  five  letters,  which  is 
an  apt  illustration  of  German  bullying.  It  is  true  the  author 
wrote  some  severe  strictures  on  Germany  to  his  German 
friends  and  no  one  has  any  right  to  prohibit  him  from  ex- 
pressing his  opinions. 

At  first  glance  it  may  seem  remarkable  that  Herr  Dr. 
von   Knilling,   Bavarian   Minister   for   Church   and   School 


xii  AUTHOR'S  PREFATORY  NOTE 

Affairs,  should  dismiss  the  author  from  the  Bavarian  State 
Service  in  October,  1914,  thereby  freeing  him  from  every 
kind  of  "  service  duty,"  and  then  decide  six  months  later 
to  try  him  for  alleged  offences  committed  after  his  dismissal. 
To  the  average  English  mind  this  may  appear  idiotic,  but 
it  is  not  so.  The  Bavarian  authorities  have  been  reminded 
that  a  contract  exists,  and  the  "  Discipline  Committee  "  is 
merely  a  trick  to  escape  from  their  financial  responsibilities. 
In  Germany  contracts  and  promises  are  only  kept  so  long  as 
the  other  party  has  the  power  to  compel  a  fulfilment. 

The  said  committee  v^^ill  resume  its  investigations  after 
May  25th,  by  which  time  a  copy  of  this  work  will  be  in 
their  hands,  and  the  author  hopes  it  will  enable  them  to  ar- 
rive at  a  wise  decision.  The  author  presents  his  compliments 
to  the  chairman.  Dr.  Allfeld,  Professor  of  Jurisprudence  in 
Erlangen  University,  and  trusts  that  the  committee  has  suffi- 
cient sense  of  humour  to  recognize  that  their  task  is  one  for 
the  genus  asinorum.  They  are  ordered  to  try  a  man  who  is 
outside  their  jurisdiction,  for  alleged  offences  against  his 
"  service  duties "  committed  after  the  Bavarian  State  had 
voluntarily  freed  him  from  those  duties.  If  the  committee 
will  postpone  their  sittings  the  writer  promises  to  be  pres- 
ent at  this  latest  "  Mad  Hatters'  Tea-Party." 

The  author  claims  that  he  is  able  to  speak  with  authority 
on  Germany,  and  in  support  of  that  claim  takes  the  liberty 
to  quote  extracts  from  two  testimonials  in  his  possession: 

MiNISTERIUM   FOR   ChURCH   AND   SCHOOL  AfFAIRS, 

Munich 

March  nth,  191 1. 
I  have  known  Dr.  T.  Smith  for  about  eight  years  and 
have  always  found  him  to  be  a  sincere  and  honourable  gentle- 
man, with  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  associate.     In  Nurem- 
berg and  Erlangen  he  has  moved  in  the  best  social  circles. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFATORY  NOTE  xiii 

Through  his  position  in  the  University  of  Erlangen  and 
his  work  in  the  training  seminaries  for  teachers  in  secondary- 
schools  (the  seminaries  attached  to  the  Gymnasium  in 
Erlangen  and  the  Realgymnasium  in  Nuremberg),  I  have 
been  officially  in  very  close  touch  with  him. 

During  his  long  sojourn  in  German,  Dr.  Smith  has  ac- 
quired a  command  of  the  German  language  —  written  and 
spoken  —  which  deserves  great  praise.  He  stands  in  intimate 
official  relationship  to  our  schools  and  this  has  enabled  him 
to  gain  an  insight  into  our  elementary  and  secondary  school 
systems. 

Professor  Dr.  F.  Bock, 
Member  of  the  Ministerial  Department  for 
Secondary  Schools. 

Royal  Realgymnasium,  Nuremberg. 

January  2gth,  191 1. 

The  undersigned  has  had  occasion  during  several  years' 
acquaintanceship  to  form  an  estimate  of  Dr.  Smith's  ex- 
cellent character  and  also  to  observe  the  great  esteem  in 
which  he  is  held  among  the  Professors  in  Erlangen  Uni- 
versity as  well  as  by  the  authorities  controlling  the  State 
schools. 

During  a  stay  of  more  than  eight  years  in  Germany  he 
has  acquired  not  only  a  profound  knowledge  of  German 
and  an  excellent  command  of  the  language,  but  also  a  great 
store  of  information  concerning  Germany's  school  system 
and  universities.  He  has  gained  an  exact  knowledge  of  the 
work  in  German  schools  by  personal  inspection,  through  in- 
tercourse with  the  teachers  of  many  educational  institutions, 
through  reading  and  theoretical  studies,  and  partly  from  his 
earlier  connections  with  a  Nuremberg  private  school.  Fur- 
thermore, he  has  obtained  a  good  insight  into  the  ways  and 
means  by  which  our  teachers  in  secondary  schools  are  exam- 
ined, as  he  has  repeatedly  assisted  in  Munich  on  those  occa- 
sions. 

Finally,  Dr.  Smith  has  not  neglected  to  study  German 
national,  social  and  private  life,  a  proof  of  which  has  been 
the  annual  series  of  public  lectures  which  he  has  held  in 


xiv  AUTHOR'S  PREFATORY  NOTE 

Nuremberg,  dealing  with  English  and  German  institutions. 
At  the  University  he  has  pursued  his  studies  with  zeal  and 
gained  the  academic  dignity  doctor  philosophic. 

Dr.  Richard  Ackermann, 
Vice-Principal. 

The  author's  knowledge  is  not  confined  to  Bavaria,  for 
he  has  spent  the  university  vacations  —  about  seven  months 
every  year  —  in  travelling  from  end  to  end  of  Germany  and 
Austria.  He  is  quite  at  home  in  Breslau  or  Bremen, 
Munich  or  Berlin,  Vienna  or  Prague,  and  hundreds  of  other 
cities,  great  and  small,  in  the  two  Empires.  His  German 
acquaintances  run  into  many  thousands.  Hundreds  of  his 
former  students  and  pupils  are  now  fighting  in  the  German 
army.  Of  thirty-five  students  who  attended  his  classes  in 
the  Summer  Term,  191 4,  twenty  had  been  wounded  and  six 
killed  when  he  last  heard  from  Erlangen  University  in  De- 
cember. Instead  of  1,400  students  there  were  only  380 
studying  at  Erlangen  last  winter,  and  most  of  those  were 
expecting  to  be  called  up  at  any  minute. 

All  the  large  university  buildings  had  been  converted 
into  hospitals,  for  Erlangen  had  2,000  wounded  to  care  for. 
His  Nuremberg  friends  have  informed  the  author  that  that 
city  is  one  vast  hospital.  Yet  all  his  correspondents  em- 
phasized the  fact,  that  Germans,  undaunted  by  their  sacri- 
fices, were  prepared  to  make  any  and  every  sacrifice  in  order 
to  smash  England. 

The  writer  is  convinced  that  even  now,  after  eight  months* 
war,  the  English  nation  does  not  realize  the  tremendous  task 
in  hand.  Too  much  reliance  has  been  placed  upon  "  steam- 
rollers "  instead  of  upon  England's  own  strength.  Respon- 
sible men  in  England  have  not  confided  to  the  nation  how 
great  the  task  is,  because  these  "  responsible  men  "  did  not 
know  it  themselves  when  hostilities  commenced.  Stern  facts 
have  slowly  opened  their  eyes,  and  just  in  proportion  as  their 


AUTHOR'S  PREFATORY  NOTE  xv 

intelligence  has  perceived  the  grim  work  to  be  performed, 
they  have  —  with  apparent  reluctance  —  increased  the  sever- 
ity of  England's  measures  against  the  greatest  and  bitterest 
enemy  which  has  ever  attacked  this  country. 

The  author  is  greatly  indebted  to  the  Rev.  N.  Miller, 
B.A.,  Berkhamsted  School,  for  reading  the  manuscript.  He 
takes  this  opportunity  of  expressing  his  sincere  thanks  to  this 
gentleman.  In  addition  he  must  express  gratitude  to  his 
friend  W.  Fiske,  Watford,  for  suggesting  the  present  work, 
without  whose  kindly  assistance  it  would  probably  never  have 
been  undertaken. 

All  in  all,  the  author's  sojourn  in  the  Fatherland  was  a 
pleasant  and  Instructive  experience,  and  he  affirms  with  all 
sincerity  that  he  has  no  personal  animosity  against  any  Ger- 
man. Yet  during  at  least  eleven  of  those  years  he  never 
wavered  in  his  conviction  that  Germans  look  upon  England 
as  their  inveterate  enemy,  and  hate  her.  That  hate  he  met 
in  all  classes,  mixed  with  the  hope  that  ''  the  day  "  would 
come  when  England  would  be  broken  and  humiliated. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 


CHAPTER  I 

THE   GERMAN    HOME 

READERS  whose  most  cherished  recollections 
in  life  are  associated  either  with  the  *'  ances- 
tral," the  "  cottage  "  or  the  "  free,  fair  homes  of 
England  "  must  necessarily  feel  an  interest  in  the 
homes  which  have  nourished  the  exponents  of  the 
gospel  of  brute  force.  Needless  to  say,  Mrs. 
Hemans'  little  poem  has  no  counterpart  in  German 
literature  or  in  German  life.  England's  freedom 
from  invasion  during  six  centuries  explains  why  she 
possesses  delightful  villages,  homely  farmhouses, 
beautiful  manors,  stately  halls  and  majestic  castles 
which  are  the  envy  of  the  world. 

Charles  Dickens  preached  the  gospel  '*  home,"  and 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  has  found  admirers  and 
imitators  amongst  every  literary  people  of  the  earth, 
no  other  nation  has  accepted  the  home  as  the  founda- 
tion of  national  life  to  the  same  degree  as  England; 
no  other  nation  esteems  the  influences  of  home  higher 


.^  .    ,  ;tHE  soul  of  GERMANY 

than  the  English ;  in  no  other  land  is  it  so  easy  to 
found  a  home,  and  nowhere  else  does  the  law  protect 
the  home  as  in  England,  which  deserves  the  title  — 
the  Home  of  Homes.  Above  all,  nowhere  else  are 
home  affections  so  true  and  pure. 

The  literature  of  a  nation  reveals  its  innermost 
thoughts,  deepest  yearnings  and  highest  ideals. 
Therefore  it  is  not  surprising  that  England's  litera- 
ture tells,  in  verse  and  prose,  the  great  epic  of  home ; 
the  sweetest  songs  to  an  English  heart  are  not  those 
which  tell  of  "  saddest  thought,"  but  of  home  joys 
and  sorrows.  And  just  as  the  home  holds  pride  of 
place  in  our  most  enduring  literature,  so,  too,  the 
gospel  of  home  is  an  essential  part  —  not  the  least 
noble  —  of  England's  message  and  mission  to  hu- 
manity. 

If  this  be  true,  then  England  must  be  from  the  very 
nature  of  things  an  unrelenting  enemy  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  German  Social  Democrats  who  have  declared 
war  upon  the  institutions  of  family  and  home. 

A  great  deal  has  been  written  in  praise  of  German 
home  life,  with  a  small  part  of  which  the  present 
'*"  writer  is  able  to  agree.  His  observations  have 
forced  him  to  the  generalization  that  German  cottage 
homes  are  hovels;  the  homes  of  the  middle  classes, 
tenements  under  police  supervision;  and  the  homes  of 
the  rich,  isles  of 'exclusiveness. 

It  is  only  fair,  however,  to  admit  that  a  great  part 
of  what  is  written  here  of  German  homes,  applies 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  8 

equally  to  the  home  life  of  other  lands.  Neverthe- 
less, the  writer  believes  the  differences  between 
English  and  German  standards  of  honour,  morality, 
commercial  honesty,  reverence  for  womanhood,  sym- 
pathy for  the  downfallen,  chivalry  to  the  weak,  con- 
ceptions of  right  and  wrong  as  well  as  susceptibility 
for  religious  faith,  are  mainly  due  to  the  different 
positions  which  the  home  occupies  in  the  life  of  the 
two  peoples. 

Inseparable  from  the  question  of  the  home  is  that 
touching  the  honour  and  homage  paid  by  a  nation  to 
Its  womankind.  Almost  as  much  care  is  spent  on  the 
education  of  girls  in  Germany  as  on  the  education  of 
boys.  Even  the  small  provincial  towns  possess  well- 
equipped  and  staffed  secondary  schools  for  girls  ^ 
which  In  the  great  majority  of  cases  are  supported 
and  controlled  by  the  municipal  authorities. 

The  curricula  prevailing  in  the  various  States  are 
liberal  and  enlightened  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the 
whole  programme  of  studies  Is  mapped  out  by  the 
Board  of  Education  and  must  be  rigidly  adhered  to  i^ 
in  practice.  Of  course  the  Government  Commission 
which  draws  up  the  curriculum,  choosing  and  exclud- 
ing the  subjects  best  adapted  to  form  woman's  mind, 
consists  of  men.  The  heads  of  schools  and  a  large 
proportion  of  the  teaching  staff  are  always  members 
of  the  sterner  sex.     Thus  early  in  life  girls  are  sub- 

1  Variously  styled:  hohere  Mddchenschule,  or  Tochterschule,  Ly- 
zeum  or  Studienanstalt,  etc. 


4  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

jected  to  male  influence  ^  in  the  school,  and  probably 
acquire  there  that  submissiveness  to  mere  man  which 
is  so  characteristic  of  German  women. 

However  excellent  these  arrangements  may  be  for 
improving  the  girls'  mental  calibre  they  are  not  the 
means  to  produce  the  highest  types  of  womanhood. 
But  it  is  German  system  —  to  force  the  girl  into  the 
prescribed  mould  so  that  the  type  of  woman  proceed- 
ing therefrom  shall  be  the  article  best  suited  to  Ger- 
man political  economy,  viz.,  a  docile  housewife. 

On  leaving  school  the  German  girl  is  well-educated 
(mentally)  and  knows  a  great  many  things  of  no 
value  in  this  world  or  the  next.  But  she  knows  them, 
and  from  the  German  point  of  view  it  is  not  necessary 
for  knowledge  to  be  useful. 

As  a  rule  Germans  do  not  get  knowledge  in  order 
to  use  it,  that  Is  the  despised  aim  of  English  utilitar- 
ianism; Teutons  cultivate  Idealismus.  Her  training 
has  been  almost  entirely  intellectual;  the  German 
school  —  for  either  sex  —  is  not  the  place  to  form 
character ;  neither  has  the  grace  and  charm  associated 
with  a  young  "  lady  "  played  any  considerable  role  in 
fitting  her  for  life's  journey.  In  spite  of  her  knowl- 
edge she  is  better  equipped  for  the  kitchen  than  the 
drawing-room.^  This  is  just  as  it  should  be,  for  if 
she  enters  the  matrimonial  state  the  former  is 
destined  to  be  her  future  realm,  outside  which  she 

2  Germany    possesses   private   schools   too,    in   which,    generally 
speaking,  feminine  influence  prevails. 
8  Mehr  kiichen-  ah  salonfdhig. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  5 

seldom  shines.  In  that  domain  she  forgets  modern 
languages,  maths.,  and  other  plagues  of  school  life 
in  order  to  fulfil  her  mission  in  life,  i.e.,  mother  and 
housekeeper.  With  sparen  *  as  her  motto  she  de- 
votes and  sacrifices  herself  to  the  household  and  her 
children's  material  welfare. 

These  virtues  have  gained  for  her  the  unstinted 
admiration  of  Germany's  menfolk,  who  never  tire  in 
praising  the  German  Hausfrau  —  and  it  is  all  de- 
served. But  in  just  that,  she  has  missed  a  still  higher 
mission,  the  right  and  power  to  form  the  character 
and  opinions  of  her  children.  Her  sons  look  to  her 
as  a  housekeeper,  and  therefore  never  learn  that 
reverence  for  womanhood  which  inspires  the  noblest 
chivalry.  Hence  she  fails  utterly  to  instil  any  higher 
respect  for  her  sex  in  the  youth's  heart  than  that 
which  allows  him  to  treat  waitress  and  shop-girl  as 
his  playthings  —  to  be  replaced  later  by  a  "  wife- 
housekeeper  "  of  his  own  social  standing.  "  The 
hand  that  rocks  the  cradle  rules  the  world  "  is  a  moral 
not  yet  accepted  and  enforced  by  German  mothers, 
yet  they  alone  will  ever  be  able  to  combat  successfully 
the  poison  of  Nietzsche's  Herrenmoral,  and  the  per- 
nicious teachings  of  Herr  Bebel. 

In  all  the  menial  tasks  of  home  the  German  wife 
stands  par  excellence,  but  in  the  national  life,  in 
checking  its  evil  currents  or  inspiring  its  highest 
motives,  she  is  a  cipher.     She  accepts  conditions  as 

•*  Sparen  =  to  economize,  cut  down  expenses,  save. 


6  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

they  are,  Is  too  docile  and  unassertive,  and  sets  too 
low  a  price  upon  herself. 

Woman  In  Germany  has  not  yet  learned  to  be  a 
queen  of  tournament,  commanding  a  noble  code,  but 
is  still  satisfied  with  the  shallowest  service  of  lip  and 
eye. 

The  marriage  knot  must  In  all  cases  be  tied  first  In 
the  municipal  registry  office,  a  ceremony  which  Is 
mostly  succeeded  by  one  at  church  on  the  following 
day. 

It  Is  above  all  In  the  marriage  market  that  German 
women  make  themselves  exceedingly  cheap.  Girls 
of  the  lower  classes  exercise  the  greatest  thrift  in 
order  to  procure  eine  Ausstattung^  and  a  little 
money,  without  which  she  has  little  hope  of  finding  a 
Hans  who  will  make  her  his  housekeeper  and  slave. 
Having  bought  a  man,  her  chief  worry  in  life  seems 
to  be  removed. 

Especially  among  the  peasant  classes  women  are 
little  better  than  beasts  of  burden.  From  morn  till 
eve,  during  all  the  seasons,  they  may  be  seen  —  young 
and  old  —  performing  the  heaviest  tasks  connected 
with  agricultural  labour. 

Either  the  compulsion  of  dire  necessity  or  the  cold 
love  of  gain  causes  them  to  leave  home  and  children 
to  their  own  resources.  On  market  days  the  woman 
carries  the  heaviest  load,  while  In  droughty  summers 

^  Among  all  classes  it  is  the  invariable  custom  for  the  wife  to 
provide  furniture  and  other  things  necessary  for  a  home.  Die 
Ausstattung  includes  all  the  household  effects  of  a  home. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  7 

It  Is  an  everyday  sight  to  see  her,  bent  nearly  double 
In  carrying  a  vessel  containing  about  six  bucketsful  of 
water,  fitted  by  straps  on  to  the  back,  considerable 
distances  to  water  the  parched  fields.  Yet  hers  is  a 
lot  much  desired  and  envied  by  her  unmarried  sisters  I 

Without  exaggeration  It  may  be  stated  that  In  Ger- 
many every  man  has  his  price  and  Frauleln's  deter- 
mination to  make  a  purchase  at  all  costs  only  tends 
to  make  the  market  price  go  up.  Officers  command 
the  highest  figure.  Next  In  order  come  university 
and  professional  men,  while  the  mere  man  of  business 
makes  a  bad  third. 

Here  again  German  littleness  betrays  Itself  In  ex- 
quisite form.  No  German  lady  Is  addressed  by  her 
surname,  e.g.,  Mrs.  Jones;  but  always  by  her  hus- 
band's title  or  position,  whatever  that  may  be,  e.g.^ 
Mrs.  Doctor,  Professor,  Architect,  or  even  Mrs. 
Chimneysweep,  and  joy  of  joys  to  German  flappers 
(Backfisch),  Mrs.  Lieutenant!  To  be  addressed  as 
Frau  Leutnant  and  swank  amid  dazzling  uniforms  Is 
a  dizzy  dream  for  which  Gretchen  must,  and  does, 
wlUIngly  pay  thousands  of  pounds.^ 

6  No  German  officer  may  marry  without  his  colonel's  permission. 
This  gentleman  looks  carefully  —  with  the  help  of  Germany's  so- 
cial spy  system  —  into  the  lady's  social  standing  before  giving  his 
consent.  If  the  officer  is  still  a  lieutenant  the  lady  must  further 
deposit  a  sum  from  three  thousand  pounds  for  infantry,  up  to  a 
much  higher  figure  if  the  man  is  in  a  crack  regiment.  By  para- 
graph 150  in  the  Military  and  Naval  Penal  Code  an  officer  in 
either  service  can  be  sentenced  to  three  months'  imprisonment  in  a 
fortress  and  dismissed  from  the  service  for  marrying  without  offi- 
cial permission. 


8  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Only  too  frequently  the  sacrament  of  marriage  has 
sunk  in  modern  Germany  to  a  sordid  business  bar- 
gain, entered  into  by  the  man  without  any  other  senti- 
ment than  the  desire  to  get  his  university  or  other 
debts  paid  and  have  a  home  provided  for  his  worth- 
less self. 

Ladies  with  marriageable  daughters  leave  no  stone 
unturned  in  the  hunt  to  find  them  suitable  partners  in 
life  —  but  his  suitability  is  reckoned  only  according 
to  his  social  position  and  title.  Only  possible 
"  chances  "  are  encouraged  to  visit  the  family,  and 
then  no  other  marriageable  girls  are  invited  to  dis- 
tract the  intended  victim.  Friends  and  relations  — 
who  have  no  daughters  to  get  off  —  are  pressed  into 
the  conspiracy  to  obtain  Gretchen  as  much  Herr- 
enanschluss  (gentlemen  acquaintances)  as  possible. 
When  matters  proceed  too  slowly,  even  marriage 
agencies  (the  number  of  these  is  legion)  and  anony- 
mous advertisements  are  resorted  to. 

All  in  all,  the  German  mother  looks  upon  marriage 
as  the  end  and  aim  of  her  daughter's  being;  to  attain 
this  end  she  is  generally  prepared  to  obliterate  her- 
self and  on  occasion  to  intrigue  and  scheme  in  a  man- 
ner Incompatible  with  her  own  or  the  daughter's 
highest  womanly  Interests.  Consequently  the  men- 
folk accept  them  on  these  terms."^ 

7  The  work  which  has  been  quoted  several  times,  "  Moral  und 
Gesellschaft  des  20.  Jahrhunderts  "  ("Morality  and  Society  in  the 
Twentieth  Century")  contains  a  chapter  which  throws  a  lurid 
light  on  German  women  and  the  Geld-Heirat  (money-marriage). 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  9 

When  men  meet  together  and  a  young  lady's  name 
is  mentioned,  the  next  remark  will  almost  certainly 
be  of  this  kind:  "Was  bekommt  sle  mit?  "  or 
"  Wie  hoch  schatzen  Sle  Ihr  MItglft?  "  That  is  to 
say,  how  much  hard  cash  will  be  paid  down  at  her 
"  marriage  "  ?  According  to  the  figure  mentioned 
the  young  lady  is  an  interesting  topic  of  conversation 
or  is  dropped. 

Should  one  of  the  supermen  feel  inclined  to  offer 
her  the  position  of  housekeeper  he  will  pursue  dili- 
gent inquiries  among  his  and  her  friends  to  discover 
whether  the  Mitgift  (dowry)  has  been  correctly  esti- 
mated. If  these  sources  fall  him  he  proceeds  to  an 
Auskunftei  (Inquiry  agency)  and  endeavours  to  get 
information  about  his  prospective  bride  and  her  fam- 
ily through  what  is  no  other  than  a  spying  institution. 
There  are  branches  and  agents  of  these  in  every  town 
and  village,  while  no  German  newspaper  is  without 
such  advertisements  as  the  following:  "  Before  get- 
ting engaged  or  married  take  up  Information  about 
the  dowry,  bride's  past  life  and  family."  ^  "  Mar- 
Fritz  Berolzheimer's  picture  is  much  blacker  than  that  painted  by 
the  present  writer. 

^  These  inquiry  agencies  play  an  essential  part  in  German  busi- 
ness and  social  life.  Every  business  house  has  a  contract  with  one 
or  more.  The  name  of  a  new  customer  asking  for  credit  is 
quickly  'phoned  to  the  agency.  An  ordinary  business  inquiry  costs 
from  one  to  three  shillings;  a  full  report  about  any  person  (such 
as  are  obtained  before  marriage)  costs  twenty  shillings.  Both 
sexes  resort  to  them  freely,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  walk 
through  the  principal  streets  of  any  important  German  city  without 
noticing  a  dozen  or  more  offices  of  that  kind. 


10  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

riage. —  I  am  seeking  suitable  husband  for  my  niece  " 
(sometimes  sister  or  daughter),  *'  aged  twenty-four, 
blonde,  good-looking,  fine  figure;  gets  £2,000  down 
and  more  later.  Box  No. — ."  *'  Official  "  (some- 
times officer)  "  in  high  position  seeks  the  acquaint- 
ance of  educated  lady  who  must  dispose  of  at  least 
£10,000.  Correspondence  through  parents  or  rela- 
tive not  objected  to.  Secrecy  a  matter  of  honour. 
Address  to,  etc." 

In  peace  times  it  was  impossible  to  read  any  issue 
of  the  Berliner  Tagehlatt  or  the  Frankfurter  Zeitung 
without  finding  all  sorts  of  marriage  offers  emanating 
from  the  Jewish  world.  These  often  begin  with  the 
word  Schadchen,  which  means  that  the  advertiser  re- 
quires a  commission  of  about  two  per  cent,  on  the 
dowry.  Schadchen  is  untranslatable,  but  the  form  is 
usually  the  following : ''  Schadchen  moving  In  the  best 
circles  Is  prepared  to  Introduce  gentleman  to  several 
rich  young  ladies,  etc." 

It  Is  exceedingly  illuminating  to  think  that  your 
well-groomed  German  guest  carries  the  art  of  spying 
Into  the  '*  best  circles  "  and  exploits  your  family  life 
to  gain  a  commission  by  finding  a  husband  for  your 
daughter.^ 

Last  summer  an  Englishman  resident  In  Nurem- 
berg showed  the  writer  a  paper  which  he  had  been 

®  Wine-merchants,  cigar  dealers,  moneylenders,  etc.,  often  ad- 
vertise for  "  gentlemen  moving  in  good  circles  "  who,  in  considera- 
tion for  a  commission  on  business  done,  will  recommend  or  intro- 
duce their  wares  to  the  besseren  Kreisen. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  11 

asked  to  sign  by  such  a  private  marriage-agent.  The 
document  set  forth  that  the  agent  was  prepared  to 
introduce  Mr.  A.  to  Fraulein  X.  If  an  engagement 
followed  between  them  Mr.  A.  undertook  to  pay  £15 
and  after  marriage  a  further  £45. 

Mitgifts  determine  German  marriages,  and  ac- 
cording to  German  notions  of  arranging  these  unions 
it  is  "  diamond  cut  diamond."  Parents  discreetly 
circulate  rumours  of  their  daughter's  dowry;  the 
young  men,  for  their  part,  use  every  means  which  spy- 
ing places  at  their  disposal  to  see  if  the  figure  quoted 
is  a  mythical  one. 

One  Teuton  was  not  in  the  least  ashamed  to  tell 
the  author  that  he  had  been  engaged  three  times,  and 
each  time  his  prospective  father-in-law  had  been  un- 
able (or  unwilling)  to  fulfil  the  hopes  previously 
raised  in  regard  to  the  dowry. 

Cases  reported  from  German  law  courts  afford 
ample  proof  that  the  marriage  market  is  a  happy 
hunting  ground  for  adventurers,  while  a  closer  knowl- 
edge of  German  life  goes  to  show  that  the  German 
genius  for  gathering  information,  for  making  in- 
quiries, for  secrecy  and  spying,  has  found  no  domain 
where  it  is  so  active  as  in  the  "  heaven  "  where  mar- 
riages are  made. 

How  many  German  "  homes  "  have  sprung  into 
being  through  these  match-making,  sordid  intrigues  it 
would  be  impossible  to  determine.  It  is  only  of 
interest  to  know  that  they  are  the  accepted  standards 


12  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

and  methods,  and  having  once  established  this  fact, 
the  large  and  increasing  number  of  divorces  ^^  is  a 
phenomenon  which  requires  little  further  comment. 

Returning  to  the  homes  of  cottagers  and  peasants, 
a  German  cynicism  best  describes  their  cleanliness  and 
comfort.  It  runs  thus:  ''Why  Is  the  air  in  the 
country  so  fresh?  Because  the  peasants  never  open 
their  windows!  " 

German  cottages  contain  a  minimum  of  comfort 
and,  except  In  the  mountainous  districts,  are  seldom 
picturesque ;  even  there  the  inhabitants  have  a  strong 
objection  to  fresh  air  within  their  homes !  The  best 
that  can  be  said  of  the  peasantry.  Is  they  are  a  hard, 
brutal,  thrifty  race,  placing  little  value  upon  the  re- 
finements of  life  and  seemingly  possessing  no  inclina- 
tion to  acquire  them.  Dour  and  revengeful,  quarrel- 
some and  ever  ready  with  the  knife,  they  never  allow 
a  village  festival  to  pass  without  knifing  events  or 
the  smashing  of  beer-mugs  on  each  other's  heads 
being  duly  chronicled  in  the  local  press.  To  them 
home  is  merely  a  place  to  sleep,  but  they  have  an  ad- 
vantage over  the  myriads  of  dwellers  in  towns  in  that 
they  may  sleep  under  their  own  roof-tree,  while  with 
few  exceptions  the  greater  part  of  Germany's  popula- 
tion is  condemned  to  exist  in  flats. 

^^  In  1913  no  fewer  than  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty 
marriages  were  dissolved  in  Bavaria,  which  is  for  the  most  part  a 
Roman  Catholic  country,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic Church  is  bitterly  opposed  to  divorce.  Divorce  statistics  on 
page  231. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  13 

The  privacy  and  seclusion  which  an  Englishman 
values  so  highly  Is  under  German  conditions  un- 
known. Usually  the  landlord  occupies  one  of  the 
flats,  generally  that  on  the  ground  floor.  On  enter- 
ing the  house  one  of  the  first  things  which  strikes  the 
eye  Is  a  placard  containing  some  twenty  numbered 
paragraphs,  comprising  the  Hausordnung  (rules  for 
the  house)  — what  you  must  or  must  not  do.  A 
tenant  Is  Informed  in  the  house  rules  when  he  may 
play  the  piano  and  how  he  may  water  the  flowers  on 
the  window-sills,  etc.  The  landlord  is  the  house  po- 
liceman, so  that  even  the  German  better-class  homes 
are  not  free  from  barrack-yard  discipline.  Your 
comings  and  goings  are  duly  observed,  those  of  vis- 
itors likewise. 

Germans  are  naturally  quarrelsome,  so  that  In  the 
space  between  the  common  wash-house  In  the  base- 
ment and  the  common  drying-room  under  the  roof, 
sufficient  points  of  contact  and  conflict  will  be  found 
to  engender  strained  relations  for  the  best  part  of  the 
year.  Under  the  roof  there  are  several  small  cham- 
bers (or  kennels)  ranged  round  the  big  drying-room. 
These  are  the  bedrooms  of  girls  In  service  in  the 
various  flats,  which  is  an  excellent  institution  for 
satisfying  the  Insatiable  German  Inqulsltlveness ! 
Further,  It  gives  the  servants  the  opportunity  —  sel- 
dom missed  —  of  receiving  nocturnal  visits  and  of 
making  nocturnal  excursions  to  dances  during  the  car- 
nival season. 


\J 


14  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Many  of  these  flats  are  elegant,  spacious  and  ex- 
pensive, yet  they  are  not  conducive  to  that  home  at- 
mosphere and  security  which  has  given  rise  to  the 
popular  phrase,  "  An  Englishman's  house  is  his 
castle."  In  other  days  it  may  have  been  otherwise, 
but  modern  German  homes  seem  to  exercise  little 
power  of  attraction  upon  their  owners.  IThe  whole 
atmosphere  is  one  of  restraint  and  condensed  stiff- 
ness, genuine  German  propriety  and  order.  One 
never  feels  free  and  easy,  and  even  between  families 
connected  by  intimate  ties  of  friendship  the  exchange 
of  visits  is  always  characterized  by  formality. 
There  is  nothing  of  a  "  drop  in  "  or  "  call  round  at 
my  place  "  style  in  German  friendships,  and  there  are 
no  German  idioms  by  which  these  phrases  could  be 
rendered  in  that  language.  The  kindly  cordiality 
hidden  beneath  such  expressions  is  a  feeling  foreign 
to  German  character,  and  entrance  to  a  German  home 

15  something  of  a  tremendous  nature,  a  state  occasion, 
and  the  behaviour  on  both  sides  must  be  correspond- 
ingly dignlfiedj 

If  the  Teuton  thinks  anything  of  his  home,  then  his 
Idea  is  to  be  shut  out  from  the  world,  to  have  a  corner 
entirely  to  himself,  and  there  much  the  same  spirit 
prevails  as  that  depicted  In  Tennyson's  *'  Palace  of 
Art."  The  best  German  homes  aptly  illustrate  the 
national  egoism. 

When  talking  of  England  Germans  expressed 
ajjiazement  at  the  ease  with  which  they  could  get  their 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  15 

sons  and  daughters  accepted  in  better-class  English 
families. ^^  No  conception  of  the  home  as  a  sort  of 
beacon  light  shedding  its  divine  influence  beyond  its 
own  borders  has  ever  dawned  upon  the  Teutonic  im- 
agination. A  German's  highest  idea  of  home  is  to 
have  a  place  entirely  sacred  to  himself. 

Yet  it  is  rare  for  a  German's  centre  of  gravity  to 
lie  near  his  own  hearth.  The  innumerable  coffee- 
houses, restaurants  and  beer-gardens  in  the  summer 
time  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that  the  German  is  not 
a  home-loving  being;  he  prefers  to  see  and  be  seen 
amid  the  glaring  lights  of  public  places. 

On  Sundays,  from  midday  till  midnight,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  find  a  vacant  chair  in  them ;  if  German  families 
wish  to  meet  each  other  the  invariable  rendezvous  is 
at  the  coffee-house  or  restaurant.  An  advantage, 
perhaps,  is  the  extra  work  consequent  upon  entertain- 
ing at  home  is  avoided,  and  it  is  an  easy,  inexpensive 
manner  of  displaying  the  charms  of  marriageable 
daughters.  Yet  it  proves  how  far  the  average  Ger- 
man has  reversed  the  usual  order  of  things  and  made 
the  restaurant  his  home,  while  his  flat  has  become  his 
hotel.     Even  the  inevitable  Kaffeekrdnchen    (coffee 

11  A  young  German  compelled  to  live  away,  from  home  is  never 
able  to  get  into  a  good  family.  He  takes  a  bedroom  and  boards 
in  the  restaurants.  When  advertising  for  such  a  room  he^generally 
states  that  the  room  must  be  ungentert  or  sturmfrei,  which  means 
that  the  landlady  must  make  no  complaints  if  piembers  of  the  other 
sex  visit  him.  By  this  means  the  widespread  systems  of  liaisons 
{Verbdltnissystem)  flourishes.  It  is  to  the  credit  of  young  Eng- 
lishmen that  they  could  more  easily  get  into  good  families  than 
young  Germans  could. 


16  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

circle),  so  dear  to  German  women,  has  its  venue  In  a 
public  coffee-house. 

German  home-life  Is  a  loose  conception  and  the 
home  exercises  little  or  no  influence  on  Germany's 
sons  and  daughters.  It  may  be  that  the  enormous 
commercial  prosperity  of  the  last  forty  years  has 
hastened  the  undermining  process,  or  it  may  be  that 
this  phase  of  German  ''  progress  "  is  right  and  our 
old-fashioned  system  is  wrong,  but  the  essential  fact 
remains,  that  the  institutions  as  they  exist  suit  admir- 
ably the  German  love  of  ostentation.  Yet  the  price 
paid  Is  high :  the  influence  of  home  as  a  factor  In  na- 
tional life  has  disappeared,  and  the  garden  where 
noble  characters  are  grown  has  been  handed  over  to 
serve  as  building  sites  for  restaurants  and  coffee- 
houses. 


CHAPTER  II 

GERMAN  SCHOOLS  —  INTELLECTUAL  BARRACKS 

IT  has  been  very  truly  said  that  Germany  is  the 
world's  schoolmaster,  and  like  many  another  of 
that  profession  the  Fatherland  has  fallen  into  the 
error  of  believing  that  the  rod  —  in  this  case  the 
mailed  fist  —  is  an  end  in  itself.  Nevertheless,  the 
world  owes  a  great  debt  to  our  Teutonic  cousins  for  a 
long  list  of  great  pedagogues,  as  well  as  for  the  sys- 
tem of  schools  which  have  been  models  for  the  rest 
of  the  world. 

As  this  chapter  is  not  written  solely  for  schoolmas- 
ters, the  technicaHties  will  be  dealt  with  in  broad  out- 
line, but  at  the  same  time  a  serious  attempt  will  be 
made  to  define  the  aims  —  avowed,  or  unconscious  — 
pursued,  and  the  results  achieved  in  German  schools. 

In  1870  England  began  in  earnest  to  educate  the 
masses;  in  so  doing  she  copied  a  great  deal  from  the 
institutions  on  the  other  side  of  the  North  Sea. 
According  to  statistics  there  are  fewer  illiterates  in 
Germany  than  any  other  country  of  the  world; 
this  fact,  however,  does  not  deter  the  writer  from 
affirming  most  positively,  that  in  forty-four  years 
this  country  has  equalled,  and  in  some  respects  sur- 
passed, her  former  models.     The  average  English 

17 


r 


18  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

boy  or  girl  on  leaving  an  elementary  school  has  an 
intellectual  equipment  at  least  equal  to  his  German 
cousin,  but  In  those  qualities  which  fit  the  individual 
to  adapt  himself  to  life  and  the  higher  virtues  charac- 
terized as  "  duty  towards  one's  neighbour,"  he  or 
-  she  possesses  decisive  advantages.  German  teachers 
Impress  upon  their  charges  with  infinite  fidelity  the  in- 
dividual's duty  to  that  vast  Incubus  which  presses 
upon  every  phase  of  the  national  life  —  the  State ;  but 

/  the  elementary  principles  of  chivalry  he  neglects.^ 
In  short,  the  fundamentals  of  humanitarianism  are 
not  the  chief  aim  of  German  elementary  schools,  but 
rather  to  create  disciplined  loyal  citizens,  unquestion- 
ingly  obedient  to  the  State. 

The  four  and  a  quarter  million  votes  given  to 
Social  Democrats  at  the  last  Reichstag  election  prove 
that  even  In  their  chief  aim  German  schools  have 
failed,  although  the  manner  In  which  German  soldiers 
are  fighting  for  their  Fatherland  supports  the  con- 
tention,  that  the  same   schools  have   succeeded  In 

/  teaching  patriotism.  In  superficial  politeness,  such 
as  raising  the  hat  to  all  and  sundry,  knocking  at  the 
door  before  entering  a  room,  standing  bareheaded 
when  speaking  to  a  superior,  etc.,  the  German  lad 

1  Dr.  Karl  Peters,  in  his  book  on  England,  emphasizes  the  teach- 
ing in  all  our  schools  as  inculcating  the  principles  of  fair-play; 
two  boys  do  not  pitch  on  to  one,  nor  a  big  boy  attack  a  little 
chap;  if  in  a  fight  one  is  knocked  down,  his  opponent  waits  till  he 
is  up  again;  English  boys  learn  to  respect  the  weaker  sex,  etc. 
Peters,  among  other  German  authors,  deplores  the  absence  of  these 
\^/    qualities  in  the  youth  of  Germany. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  19 

can  give  an  English  schoolboy  points,  but  in  true  de- 
cent feeling,  kindly  consideration  towards  elders  and 
his  fellow  *'  men  "  in  general,  the  writer  maintains 
that  the  youth  of  England  are  a  long  way  ahead. 
The  outward  form  does  not  always  reveal  the  inner 
motive,  and  on  countless  occasions  he  has  observed 
the  German  girl  curtsy,  the  schoolboy  obsequiously 
lower  his  cap  almost  to  the  ground,  and  the  soldier 
salute  with  wooden  rigidity  —  only  to  make  a  grimace 
in  the  next  instant,  or  for  the  expression  of  profound 
respect  to  become  a  sarcastic  snigger  —  when  discov- 
ery seemed  impossible.  It  is  natural  to  conclude 
from  these  small  "  feathers  ''  which  way  the  wind 
blows ;  that  the  sign  of  respect  given  to  the  teacher  is 
the  result  of  the  inevitable  "  must,"  and  not  a  tribute 
to  the  schoolmaster's  character;  that  the  soldier's 
Ehrenzeichen  is  given  to  his  superior's  uniform  and 
not  to  the  man  in  it.  Ehrenzeichen  is  a  word  written 
in  bold  characters  on  the  life-path  of  the  German. 
In  school  he  learns  to  render  it  almost  to  a  degree  of 
servility,  and  his  subsequent  military  service  incul- 
cates still  more  obsequiousness  to  the  brink  of  inner 
revulsion.  It  is  the  foundation  of  that  outward  punc- 
tiliousness which  characterizes  German  life,  irrespec- 
tive of  inward  motive  or  sincerity.  Exteriors  must 
always  be  absolutely  "  correct,"  but  the  average  Teu- 
ton troubles  himself  little  as  to  what  is  concealed  be- 
neath them,  in  fact  he  accepts  it  as  a  part  of  life's 
game  —  dust  in  the  other  man's  eyes  —  and  in  super- 


20  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

ficial  politeness  with  diplomatic  motives,  the  simula- 
tion of  reverence  and  sincerity,  the  German  is  a  past- 
master.  Cringing  would  be  a  plain  Anglo-Saxon 
term  for  this  quality,  and  this  characteristic  quality 
of  German  life  is  usually  a  mantle  for  insincerity  or 
even  concealed  malice. 

The  schoolmaster  is  content  that  the  forms  of 
respect  due  to  him  are  shown,  in  fact  he  mercilessly 
insists  upon  them;  but  it  is  indeed  rare  that  he  en- 
deavours through  his  own  personality  to  inspire  them. 
The  young  German  does  not  obtain  those  qualities  in 
his  school  which  are  the  basis  of  true  character,  viz., 
the  right  respect  for  himself,  and  reverence  for  God 
and  goodness  in  other  men.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
he  has  absorbed  an  element  of  poison  in  that  he  has 
learned  to  look  upon  polite  exteriors  as  vital. 

In  the  streets  of  German  villages  and  towns  it  is 
possible  to  observe  every  few  minutes  two  acquaint- 
ances who  have  stopped  to  chat,  raising  and  deeply- 
swinging  their  hats  at  meeting  and  leave-taking, 
several  times  in  as  many  moments.  Neither  means 
anything,  possibly  they  are  bitter  rivals  'or  even  hate 
each  other,  yet  both  will  observe  these  slavish  forms 
of  politeness,  and  either  of  them  would  be  deeply 
offended  at  any  omission  on  the  part  of  the  other. 

During  his  first  weeks  in  Nuremberg  the  writer 
was  amazed  at  the  amount  of  awe  which  seine  kleine 
Wenigkeit  inspired  in  his  acquaintances.  He  did  not 
look  upon  this  adulation  as  a  tribute  to  himself,  but 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  21 

admits  that  at  first  he  was  betrayed  into  considering 
it  sincere  respect  for  his  country  and  nationality. 
Twelve  months,  however,  sufficed  to  dispel  even  that 
illusion;  it  is  simply  the  German's  conception  of 
''  playing  the  game."  He  uses  this  weapon  to  throw 
dust  in  the  eyes  of  his  enemy,  to  curry  favour  with  his 
superiors,  to  express  his  respect  for  women  of  virtu- 
ous and  light  character,  to  deceive  his  friends  and  at 
the  same  time  possibly  deceive  himself. 

But  there  is  another  lesson  which  German  schools 
inculcate  with  no  less  thoroughness,  that  is  best  ex- 
pressed by  the  word  must.  The  child  must  go  to 
school,  he  must  learn,  he  must  be  quiet  and  orderly; 
in  short  —  he  must  obey.  There  are  no  absentees 
—  except  for  illness;  parents  must  send  their  children 
to  school,  and  as  they,  years  before,  have  been  to 
school  and  learned  "  must,"  they  send  them. 

The  German  State  Is  a  stern  father;  in  effect  it 
says :  *'  You  must  go  to  school  in  order  to  become  a 
good  citizen  for  my,  and  your  own,  welfare.  You 
must  serve  in  the  army,  so  as  to  be  able  to  defend 
me.  You  must  die  for  me,  If  I  so  will  It."  There 
are  a  good  many  "  musts  "  In  the  life  and  death  of  a 
Teuton,  but  those  three  are  perhaps  printed  largest. 

School-life  is  not  softened  or  enlivened  by  sports, 
although  there  are  a  number  of  lessons  given  In  the 
open  air,  but  the  teacher  accompanies  his  class  on| 
such  occasions,  as  if  he  were  a  field-marshal  con- 
demned to  march  with  a  squad  of  soldiers.     It  is  un- 


aa  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

professional  for  him  and  utterly  infra  dig.  to  unbend 
and  become  a  comrade  or  friend. 

To  sum  him  up,  his  appeal  —  based  on  strict  peda- 
gogic principles  —  is  directed  to  the  child's  head  — 
never  to  his  heart;  whereby  the  aim  of  the  German 
school  is  attained  of  helping  to  make  machines  of 
human  beings,  with  this  result,  too,  that  the  latter 
cherish  little  affection  for  their  school  in  after-life. 

Unfortunately  these  schools,  as  well  as  the  State 
Secondary  Schools,  have  become  the  principal  arena 
for  the  bitter  struggle  waged  uninterruptedly  in  Ger- 
many since  the  Reformation,  between  Protestants 
and  Catholics. 

As  far  as  circumstances  will  possibly  allow  the 
children  of  the  two  great  branches  of  Christianity  are 
taught  separately,  and  only  by  men  professing  their 
faith.  They  learn  to  look  upon  each  other  with  sus- 
picion, often  mingled  with  contempt,  while  both  learn 
to  despise  most  heartily  children  of  Hebrew  parents.^ 
Instruction  in  some  religion  or  other  is  compulsory; 
would  it  not  be  better  to  drop  it  out  of  the  curriculum 
entirely,  rather  than  reduce  it  to  the  dead  level  of  the 
other  brain-drill  subjects? 

Every  child  has  his  book  of  catechism  and  another 
of  Bible  history,  both  duly  approved  by  the  powers- 
that-be ;  each  part  of  the  former  is  supplemented  by 

2  Religious  distinctions  are  even  carried  into  the  playground. 
A  rich  Nuremberg  Jew,  for  whom  I  have  profound  respect,  told 
me  that  the  children  of  Jewish  families  were  practically  ignored 
in  the  playground,  and  thus  forced  to  play  alone. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  ^3 

Luther's  interpretation  In  smaller  type;  both  text  and 
elucidation  have  to  be  committed  to  memory.  In 
like  manner  stories  and  sayings  from  the  Bible, 
together  with  hymns,  are  crammed  into  the  child's 
memory.  The  teacher  may  not  think  for  himself  In 
giving  an  interpretation,  much  less  so  his  pupils ;  the 
German  Church  and  State  are  indeed  careful  to  pre- 
vent error  or  heresy  from  creeping  into  their  fold ! 

It  Is  systematized  religion,  in  which  the  part  of 
the  teacher  is  very  clearly  defined,  but  a  system  in 
which  the  wonderful  heroic  stories,  the  simple  faith, 
the  glorious  poetry,  the  splendid  lessons  of  right  and 
wrong-doing  to  be  found  in  the  Old  Testament  lose 
their  power,  and  dull  instead  of  firing  the  youthful 
imagination,  and  a  system  in  which  the  lustrous  per- 
sonality of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
as  well  as  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  are  scientifically 
reduced  to  the  limits  of  a  dry-as-dust  catechism. 
The  limits  are  indeed  so  confined  that  no  room  has 
been  found  for  either  "  My  duty  towards  God  "  or 
"  My  duty  towards  my  neighbour."  It  Is  not  sur- 
prising, therefore,  if  the  children  of  the  masses  leave 
school  at  the  age  of  fourteen  with  a  false  conception 
of  real  values,  with  a  predisposition  to  judge  by  ex- 
teriors, with  the  feeling  that  they  are  Germans,  but 
of  little  account  In  the  great  organism  called  the 
State,  with  no  Idea  of  the  truth  so  deftly  expressed  in 
Burns'  poem,  "  A  man's  a  man  for  all  that,"  and 
lastly  without  the  necessary  ballast  to  character. 


M  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

What  wonder  if  they  fall  victims  to  the  doctrines 
of  envy,  class-hatred,  and  atheism  so  assiduously 
taught  by  the  Social  Democratic  party;  what  wonder, 
too,  if  religion  means  to  their  "  drilled  "  imagination 
something  infinitely  more  worthless  than  arithmetic. 

Sir  Joshua  Fitch,  In  his  *'  Lectures  on  Education," 
compares  a  perfect  system  of  national  education  to  a 
pyramid;  the  base,  elementary  schools  on  which  sec- 
ondary education  is  built  up  to  support  an  apex  of 
universities.  No  country  has  approached  nearer  to 
the  realization  of  this  ideal  than  Germany.  After 
three  or  four  years  In  a  ''  People's  School  "  (or  In  the 
preparatory  schools  which  exist  in  many  cities),  the 
boy  ^  proceeds  at  the  age  of  ten  to  one  of  the  State 
Secondary  Schools. 

There  are  three  distinct  types,  viz..  Gymnasium 
(full  classical  school,  their  Inception  dates  from  the 
Renaissance)  ;  Real^ymnasium,  in  which  English  is 
compulsory  In  the  place  of  Greek;  Oberrealschule, 
without  classics.  In  ^ach  type  of  school  the  normal 
course  lasts  for  nine  years,  but  after  six  years  an  ex- 
amination takes  place  which  gives  successful  candi- 
dates the  right  to  serve  only  one  year  in  the  army; 
further,  this  certificate  admits  its  holders  to  the  lower 
branches  of  the  civil  service,  the  post,  railway,  tele- 
graph and  telephone  departments. 

Naturally  the   sons  of  the   lower  middle-classes 

^  The  children  of  the  working  classes  remain  in  the  elementary 
schools  till  the  age  of  fourteen  and  afterwards  attend  continuation 
schools  till  the  age  of  seventeen. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  25 

leave  school  in  considerable  numbers  on  obtaining  the 
*'  one-year  "  certificate.  Those,  however,  who  com- 
plete the  course  receive  a  certificate  which  admits 
them  to  any  German,  Austrian  or  Swiss  universit}^, 
cadet  schools  for  the  army  or  navy,  the  higher 
branches  of  the  civil  service,  as  well  as  many  other 
institutions  or  administrative  authorities. 

Matthew  Arnold  wrote  that  the  knowledge  gained 
during  nine  years  in  one  of  these  classical  schools  is 
equal  to  that  necessary  to  take  an  Oxford  or  Cam- 
bridge B.A.  pass;  in  our  days,  though,  this  compari- 
son would  probably  no  longer  hold  good.  The 
course  imposes  an  almost  unheard-of  amount  of 
grinding  on  the  pupils,  but  those  who  aspire  to  the 
learned  professions  and  the  higher  walks  of  life  must 
pass  through  one  of  these  three  courses.  In  common 
parlance  the  Gymnasium  is  dubbed  the  Penal  and  a 
scholar  a  ^^  Penaler/'  Although  the  etymology  of 
these  words  is  too  doubtful  to  assert  that  they  have 
the  same  origin  ^  as  our  word  penal,  yet  they  are 
always  employed  in  that  sense. 

It  is  true,  corporal  punishment  has  been  absolutely/ 
banished  from  these  institutions,  nevertheless  an  iron 
discipline  prevails.  The  lad  is  addressed  as  '*  thou  " 
up  to  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  then  he  may  claim  the 
more  formal  and  respectful  "  you,"  but  throughout  his 
school  career  he  never  receives  a  blow  from  either 

**  Some  authorities  give  the  Latin  penna  as  the  possible  deriva- 
tive. 


m  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

teacher,  professor  or  school  rector.  He  learns  to 
look  upon  a  blow  as  a  mental,  moral  and  physical 
humiliation,  which  may  not  even  be  inflicted  upon  a 
convict;  yet  the  subservience  which  he  must  show  to 
his  mentors  under  the  style  of  das  Ehrenzeichen  (sign 
of  respect)  is  probably  in  its  final  results  more  de- 
grading than  corporal  chastisement.  At  any  rate  the 
author  is  convinced  that  this  doctrine  of  the  sacred- 
ness  of  his  person  against  physical  punishment  fills 
young  Germany's  head  with  an  exaggerated  idea  of 
his  importance,  leads  to  a  state  of  morbid  sensitive- 
ness, and  lays  the  foundations  of  the  system  known 
as  a  "  code  of  honour,"  which  would  be  more  cor- 
rectly described  as  "  diseased  egoism." 

Such,  however,  is  the  case,  and  even  the  use  of  such 
an  expression  as  "  Oh,  you  ass.  Brown  VI. !  "  to  a 
bigger  boy  would  involve  the  master  who  employed 
it  in  most  serious  difficulties.  In  fact  if  he  refused 
to  retract  and  apologize  his  pupil  could  begin  a  law- 
suit against  him  for  insult!  Yet  these  same  lads, 
when  they  meet  a  member  of  the  staff,  must  bow  to 
him  in  a  manner  which  calls  to  mind  a  picture  of  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  bending  before  his  imperious  mis- 
tress. This  leads  naturally  to  an  atmosphere  of  pet- 
tiness and  a  state  of  war  between  pupils  and  their 
masters  known  as  "  pin-pricks." 

When  the  writer's  son  entered  one  of  these  schools 
he  duly  received  a  printed  copy  of  the  regulations 
issued  by  the  Minister  for  Church  and  School  Affairs. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  27 

One  clause  especially  aroused  his  (the  writer's)  in- 
dignation and  pity.  It  ran  thus :  "  Jede  Selbsthilfe 
ist  verboten  "  (Every  sort  of  self-help  is  forbidden). 
In  any  quarrel  between  boys  the  aggrieved  party  must 
report  it  to  a  master  or  the  rector.  Should  he  take 
measures  to  obtain  rough-and-ready  justice,  he  at 
once  becomes  the  aggressor  and  would  receive  any 
punishment  which  may  be  meted  out.  Punishments 
take  the  form  of  reprimands,  detention,  warning,  in- 
terview with  the  rector,  Dimittiern  (the  pupil  may 
enter  another  Bavarian  school)  and  Excludieren,  in 
which  case  no  Bavarian  State  school  would  admit 
him. 

No  Englishman  requires  to  be  told  that  such  insti- 
tutions become  hot-beds  of  tale-telling.  In  German 
it  is  called  Denunziation,  a  disease  by  no  means  re- 
stricted to  schoolboys  or  their  masters,  but  a  cancer- 
growth  with  infinite  roots  spread  throughout  the  na- 
tion. 

The  schoolboy  runs  to  the  rector  with  tales  about 
his  master;  the  rector,  too,  must  be  very  "  correct,"  ? 
or  a  spying  master  will  report  his  comings  and  goings 
to  the  Minister  for  Church  and  School  Affairs.  Ger- 
mans designate  the  tale-teller's  virtue  by  the  dignified 
name  of  Pflichtgefiihl  (feeling  of  duty),  and  it  is 
easy  to  imagine  such  a  Denunziation  commencing: 
"  I,  Michel  Deutsch,  feel  myself  prompted  by  my 
feelings  of  duty  to  my  Fatherland  and  Superiors  to 
report  most  humbly,  etc.,  etc.,"  ad  nauseam. 


28  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

If  necessary,  a  whole  volume  might  be  filled  with 
examples  from  the  author's  personal  observation, 
only  such  compositions  are  nauseous  even  in  the  re- 
peating. This  conclusion  must,  however,  be  stated, 
that  in  German  internal  affairs,  in  schools  and  univer- 
sities, in  her  Church  and  army,  in  the  counting-house 
and  the  court,  indeed  everywhere,  spying  and  tale- 
telling  form  just  as  essential  a  part  of  the  great  sys- 
tem, as  they  do  in  her  relations  with  other  lands. 

Just  as  in  the  ''  People's  Schools,"  there  are  also  no 
sports  in  the  State  Secondary  Schools.  In  Bavaria 
football  was  prohibited  in  all  State  schools  about 
three  years  ago;  the  official  justification  being  that 
this  game  cultivated  roughness  and  ungentlemanly 
behaviour;  but  the  real  reason  was  doubtless  the  mor- 
bid sensitiveness  already  mentioned. 

Both  among  teachers  and  taught  there  is  far  too 
much  petty  jealousy  and  hostility  to  allow  the  healthy, 
vigorous  rivalry  associated  with  sport  to  flourish. 
Too  many  morbid  egos  would  feel  themselves  insulted 
and  injured  in  such  rude  games.  Still,  every  school 
has  an  excellently  equipped  gymnasium  and  generally 
two  hours  weekly  are  devoted  to  physical  exercises. 
This  side  of  German  education  is  always  relegated  to 
a  drill  teacher  who  is  almost  without  exception  a 
pensioned  N.C.O. 

Some  five  years  ago  the  Prince  Regent  of  Bavaria 
(since  deceased)  instituted  an  annual  games  festival 
for  competitions  in  field  sports  between  the  various 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  «9 

schools  in  each  town.  But  these  *'  friendly  '*  affairs 
let  loose  such  a  flood  of  envy  and  ill-feeling  between 
the  various  schools,  that  the  whole  arrangement  has 
been  reduced  to  displays  without  classification. 

In  July,  19 14,  the  writer  attended  one  of  them. 
The  heat  was  intense:  not  more  than  a  score  of 
parents  (mostly  members  of  the  fair  sex)  were  pres- 
ent —  in  spite  of  an  excellent  military  band.  The 
drill  master,  in  frock  coat  and  silk  hat,  standing  on  a 
platform,  gesticulated  and  shouted  commands,  while 
his  august  "  colleagues  "  ( ?)  and  rectors  paraded 
with  haughty  aloofness,  giving  expression  to  real 
Teutonic  gall  and  bitterness.  The  boys  showed  no 
interest  and  everybody  was  heartily  glad  when  "  the 
concluding  remarks  "  were  actually  concluded. 

The  German  schoolmaster  is  too  learned,  self-im-j 
portant  and  self-conscious  to  stoop  to  the  level  of  his  I 
pupils.  He  is  an  excellent  pedagogue,  but  his  dignity  / 
forbids  that  the  gulf  between  him  and  his  charges/ 
should  ever  be  bridged  over.  No  human  link  may/ 
connect  them  ^  because  it  is  against  his  principles  toj 
exercise  any  humane  influence  upon  them.  ' 

Herr  Kirschensteiner,  the  founder  of  trade  schools, 

^  In  the  month  of  May  the  various  classes  spend  a  day  in  the 
country.  The  master  plans  the  outing,  which  is  always  on  foot. 
On  one  occasion  a  class  of  boys  put  together  their  halfpennies 
and  procured  a  bottle  of  light  table  wine  to  lend  a  relish  to  their 
master's  lunch.  This  gentleman  rejected  the  gift  with  undisguised 
indignation,  accompanied  his  boys  to  the  innkeeper,  and  saw  that  it 
was  exchanged.  The  same  man  related  this  incident  to  me  as  if 
he  had  performed  a  virtuous  deed. 


30  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

relates  in  one  of  his  educational  works  that  a  Second- 
ary School  Teachers'  Congress,  held  in  Munich, 
passed  a  resolution  to  the  effect  that  they  had  nothing 
to  do  with  formation  of  character  in  the  school. 
Their  duty  was  simply  to  impart  knowledge  and  train 
the  mental  faculties;  questions  relating  to  character 
are  matters  for  the  nursery  and  home.  How  differ- 
ent indeed  are  England's  ideals  and  methods  I  Just 
as  in  all  other  branches  of  German  life  the  individual 
must  submit  to  authority  and  allow  himself  to  be 
absorbed  by  the  mass. 

The  German  Government  does  not  wish  any  of  its 
schools  to  teach  self-reliance  or  independence  of 
thought  and  action;  it  is  no  part  of  the  school's  duty 
to  cultivate  in  the  individual  a  conscience  which  Is  to 
become  his  king.  The  dictates  governing  a  man's 
actions,  the  motives  inspiring  his  deeds  must  not  come 
from  within,  the  State  will  supply  those  —  from  with- 
out. In  this  manner  educated  automata  are  created, 
whose  impulses  of  motion  do  not  radiate  from  within, 
but  from  a  brain-centre  outside  them. 

Recently  the  Press  contained  reports  of  a  motor- 
boat  which  can  be  propelled  by  wireless ;  the  mechanic 
sitting  in  a  wireless-station  is  said  to  have  been  able 
to  manoeuvre  a  boat  by  means  of  wireless  telegraphy. 
That  is  the  ideal  underlying  the  State  theory;  citizens 
are  so  many  mechanical  units  moved  and  controlled 
by  the  great  central  wireless-station  —  the  State.  In 
military  matters  Germany  has  practically  realized 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  31 

this  dream,  but  not  in  any  other  branch  of  the  national 
system,  although  her  school  system  approaches  very 
near  to  this  ideal. 

For  more  than  a  decade  hatred  of  England, 
coupled  with  the  teachings  of  Germany's  world  mis- 
sion, has  been  propagated  by  wireless  through  Ger- 
man schools.  It  would  be  exceedingly  difficult,  in 
fact  impossible,  to  put  one's  finger  on  the  source  from 
which  these  wireless  messages  have  emanated.  Yet 
the  fact  remains  that  this  process  has  been  going  on 
in  class  instruction,  in  lectures,  reading  books,^  charts 
on  the  wall  and  all  the  other  apparatus  of  school  life. 
The  writer,  during  his  twelve  years'  sojourn  in  Ger- 
many, has  been  in  contact  with  at  least  several  thou- 
sand masters,  professors  and  rectors  (the  last-named 
are  of  course  not  clergymen),  while  a  few  hundreds 
of  his  former  pupils  are  now  engaged  in  German  State 
schools  —  providing  they  have  not  been  called  to  the 
colours  —  and  he  is  regretfully  compelled  to  record 
that  he  found  only  bitter  dislike,  or  at  best  smoulder- 
ing suspicion  of  England  among  this  class.  That 
they  have  not  neglected  the  opportunities  afforded 
them  by  their  position  is  beyond  doubt,  otherwise  the 
venom  towards  England  which  he  found  in  German 
schoolboys,  schoolgirls  and  students  (Freshmen)  in 
the  university,  would  be  inexplicable. 

6  In  many  of  the  reading  books  for  teaching  the  English  lan- 
guage German  boys  read  selections  of  opprobrious  terms,  which, 
it  is  alleged,  the  English  employ  when  speaking  of  Germans,  e.g. 
"dirty  German,"  etc. 


32  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Only  last  July  his  son  reported  a  lesson  In  which 
the  class  —  average  age  eleven  —  had  been  informed 
that  the  French  army  was  no  good,  the  Russians 
rotten,  and  England  had  no  army  worth  speaking 
about.  If  such  instruction  can  be  imparted  when  the 
master  knows  perfectly  well  that  an  English  boy  is 
sitting  on  one  of  the  benches,  one  naturally  wonders 
what  its  purport  would  be  under  less  embarrassing 
conditions. 

There  are  two  lessons  which  have  certainly  been 
hammered  well  home  in  the  young  mind,  and  these 
are :  England  is  a  ruthless  robber  who  from  sheer 
motives  of  envy  and  lust  of  power  has  in  turn  smashed 
Holland,  Spain  and  France  —  Germany's  turn  comes 
next,  because  she  is  now  England's  commercial  and 
naval  rival.  Nelson's  bombardment  of  Copenhagen 
without  any  previous  declaration  of  war  is  an  instance 
which  every  German  has  heard  in  proof  of  England's 
treachery.  The  nation  has  been  led  to  believe  that 
England  meditated  a  sudden,  treacherous  attack  of 
that  kind  on  harmless,  unprepared  Germany.  Hang- 
ing close  at  hand  were  the  charts  on  the  class-room 
wall  showing  the  statistics  of  the  English  and  German 
fleets. 

Some  few  years  ago  the  Kaiser  wrote  a  private  let- 
ter to  Lord  Tweedmouth,  then  First  Lord  of  the  Ad- 
miralty, protesting  against  the  agitation  In  England 
about  the  German  menace,  and  especially  against  the 
German  fleet  alone  being  used  for  purposes  of  com- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  38 

parlson  by  the  agitators.  In  that  letter,  which  has 
been  published  in  the  Times  since  the  war  broke  out, 
the  German  Emperor  is  entirely  silent  about  the  fact 
that  in  the  Fatherland  itself  no  other  comparison 
whatever  has  been  dreamt  of;  certainly  in  the  State 
schools,  that  has  been  the  official  standard  in  order  to 
educate  young  Germany  in  the  naval  idea  J 

The  other  conception  of  England  which  countless 
Germans  accept  as  an  historical  fact  is  that  Eng- 
land always  plays  the  role  tertius  gaudens  (the  laugh- 
ing third) .  She  stirs  up  strife  between  any  two  pow- 
ers, and  keeps  out  of  the  light  herself  in  order  to  seize 
the  profits. 

All  that  has  been  written  about  religious  instruc- 
tion in  the  elementary  schools  applies  to  the  higher 
institutions,  except  that  the  results  are  more  deplor- 
able. The  young  men  who  proceed  from  the  higher 
schools  are  often  frankly  atheistic  or  cynically  indif- 
ferent. 

They  say  they  are  satt  (satiated)  of  religious 
teaching,  and  are  only  too  happy  to  escape  from  the 
compulsory  divinity-cramming  in  the  schools.     An- 

"^  The  author's  opinions  on  German  schools  are  based  upon  per- 
sonal visits  to  cities  and  schools  too  numerous  to  mention.  Between 
September  loth,  1913,  and  March  20th,  1914,  alone,  he  lectured  in 
over  one  hundred  German  and  twenty-five  Austrian  Secondary 
State  schools,  and  visited  among  many  more  the  following  cities: 
Hannover,  Dresden,  Cologne,  Magdeburg,  Diisseldorf,  Berlin,  Mu- 
nich, Frankfort,  Breslau,  Karlsruhe,  Nuremberg,  Stuttgart,  Prague, 
Vienna  and  Gratz.  This  was  in  one  winter,  and  he  has  spent 
his  vacations,  etc.,  in  this  way  since  1909. 


34  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

other  opinion  freely  held  among  them  is  that  *'  die 
Religion  ist  ja  keine  Wissenschaft "  ("Religion  is 
not  a  science  "),  and  a  branch  of  learning  which  is 
not  an  exact  science  excites  little  respect  among  edu- 
cated Germans. 

Another  factor  which  the  observer  misses  in  Ger- 
man life  is  the  absence  of  "  Old  Boys'  Associations." 
You  will  look  for  them  in  vain,  because  all  Germans 
look  back  to  their  schooldays,  schools  and  their 
masters  with  every  other  feeling  but  that  of  affection. 
There  is  practically  no  patriotism  for  the  old  school, 
and  neither  Heads  nor  masters  keep  in  touch  with 
their  former  pupils.  The  latter  seem  glad  that  they 
have  done  with  it,  while  the  former  are  busy  in  forc- 
ing other  human  egos  into  the  mould  approved  by  the 
State  for  making  educated  men. 

In  all  German  universities  there  are  students'  clubs 
known  as  corps,  etc.  Large  numbers  of  schoolboys 
cherish  an  ardent  longing  to  become  one  day  a  mem- 
ber of  such  a  corps.  The  formation  of  similar  so- 
cieties in  the  schools  is  very  strictly  forbidden. 
Masters  are  always  on  the  look-out  for  evidence  of 
their  existence,  which,  if  discovered,  will  certainly 
cause  some  expulsions.  Still,  these  societies  exist  in 
every  large  school,  and  the  low  cunning  practised  in 
carrying  them  on  is  certainly  an  excellent  training  for 
the  German  diplomat  or  strategist.  The  members 
are  schoolboys  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  nine- 
teen; they  meet  generally  in  a  private  room  at  a  se- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  35 

eluded  Inn.  There  they  fence  or  Imitate  the  much- 
envied  student  In  beer-drinking  and  sometimes  in 
duelling  affairs. 

The  vice-principal  of  a  certain  school,  while  com- 
plaining to  the  author  about  the  absence  of  truthful- 
ness and  the  lack  of  frankness  in  German  boys,  spoke 
openly  on  the  question  of  these  secret  clubs.  He  said 
that  putting  boys  on  their  word  of  honour  did  not 
help  them  in  their  investigations  for  proof  that  such 
a  club  exists.  The  boys  have  countered  the  word- 
of-honour  test  In  the  first  statute  of  rules;  its  purport 
is  as  follows :  "  The  moment  In  which  this  club  Is 
discovered  by  those  in  authority,  the  society  ceases  to 
exist."  By  this  artifice  a  member  who  is  questioned 
as  to  the  club's  existence  can  truthfully  swear  that  It 
does  not  exist.  In  one  European  country,  at  least, 
the  lesson  has  been  well  learned  — "  to  be  harmless 
as  doves  but  more  artful  than  serpents." 

Although  the  writer  is  a  sincere  admirer  of  Ger- 
many's splendid  system  of  schools,  he  deplores  just  as 
sincerely  many  of  their  aims,  together  with  the  tone 
which  prevails  In  them.  In  lecturing  to  German 
teachers  he  has  expressed  his  criticism  In  this  form: 
**  You  lay  too  much  stress  on  the  verb  konnen  "  (to 
be  able,  to  know)  "  and  you  neglect  the  verb  sein  " 
(to  be,  i.e.^  character).  That  is  undoubtedly  the 
root  of  the  whole  evil. 

A  century  ago  the  Germans  emerged  from  serf- 
dom, and  for  that  unripe  human  material  Germany 


36  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

has  built  up  a  great  system  of  institutions,  which  Im- 
part knowledge,  irrespective  of  the  individual's  capa- 
bility of  receiving  and  assimilating  it.  It  would  be 
unwise  to  graft  an  Eton  and  Oxford  education  on 
every  street  waif  or  son  of  the  fields.  That  is  ex- 
actly what  Germany  for  nearly  a  century  has  been  do- 
ing en  masse.  The  superstructure  is  too  splendid 
and  heavy  for  its  foundations,  with  this  result  — 
Germans  individually  and  collectively  are  suffering 
from  too  much  knowledge  without  the  necessary  char- 
acter to  balance  it,  or,  in  everyday  language,  Germany 
is  suffering  from  "  swelled-head." 

Before  leaving  this  subject  it  Is  necessary  to  add 
that  every  young  fellow  who  enters  the  civil  service 
as  a  master  in  a  State  school  must  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance  to  King  and  State,  and  furthermore  he 
swears  not  to  divulge  the  happenings  of  school  life. 
This  oath  has  been  administered  to  young  candidates 
in  the  writer's  presence  on  several  occasions.  School 
happenings  are  termed  Amtsgeheimnisse  (secrets  of 
office) ,  and  the  rector  of  a  school  when  administering 
the  oath  especially  enjoined  upon  the  young  men  the 
wisdom  of  having  nothing  to  do  with  the  press. 
Truly  the  German  loves  secrecy  as  the  mole  under  the 
earth  loves  darkness. 


CHAPTER  III 

GERMAN    UNIVERSITIES HIGH-SCHOOLS   OF 

KULTUR  AND   BRUTALITY 

THERE  is  no  boast  which  falls  more  often  from 
German  lips  than  that  they  are  the  most  edu- 
cated people  in  the  world.  With  justice  they  are 
proud  of  their  school  system  and  like  to  talk  about 
it,  but  if  mention  is  made  of  their  twenty-two  universi- 
ties, the  average  German  takes  a  deep  breath  before 
discussing  the  Hochschulen,  in  order  to  accord  such  a 
sacred  subject  the  honour  which  is  due  to  it. 

The  author  well  remembers  how  his  Nuremberg 
friends  looked  upon  him  with  a  special  kind  of  awe 
after  his  appointment  to  a  German  university  had 
been  notified  in  the  Press  of  the  Fatherland.  They 
seemed  to  look  upon  this  as  an  honour  second  only 
to  one  which  can  fall  to  the  lot  of  man  —  the  excepted 
dignity  being,  of  course,  the  officer's  uniform. 

Bavaria,  with  a  population  not  exceeding  seven 
millions,  supports  three  universities  —  two  with  a 
Catholic  and  one  (Erlangen)  with  a  Protestant  Fac- 
ulty of  Theology.  In  these  three  there  are  —  in 
times  of  peace  —  about  ten  thousand  students,  while 
the  remaining  German  States  support  universities  con- 
taining roughly  fifty  thousand  students. 

37 


38  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Without  any  fear  of  contradiction  it  may  be  said 
that  Germany  easily  holds  the  record  for  turning  out 
"  university  men."  On  the  whole  the  various  States 
spare  no  expense  ^  whatever  in  making  these  institu- 
tions the  finest  in  the  world,  with  the  result  that  in 
medicine,  experimental  science  and  so  on,  the  insti- 
tutes have  become  models  for  other  countries. 

Failing  the  opportunity  to  become  an  officer,  there 
is  perhaps  no  more  ardent  desire  in  the  heart  of 
young  Germany  than  to  go  to  a  university.  There 
are  many  facilities  to  this  end,  for  with  care  the  stu- 
dent —  unless  he  is  studying  law  or  medicine  —  can 
manage  to  squeeze  through  on  £50  to  £60  a  year. 
Large  numbers  keep  themselves  going  by  giving  pri- 
vate lessons,  while  not  a  few  are  supported  by  wait- 
resses, whom  they  afterwards  marry  —  or  leave  in 
the  lurch,  to  marry  a  girl  with  a  dowry. 

Such  advertisements  as  the  following  are  quite  com- 
mon in  the  newspapers : 

Student  {medical),  smart-looking  and  gentlemanly,  seeks 
the  acquaintance  of  a  lady  with  means,  who  will  enable  him 
to  complete  his  studies.  '  A  lady  with  a  regrettable  incident  in 
her  past  not  excluded.  Marriage  later  a  matter  of  honour. 
Apply  Box  gg. 

Notwithstanding  such  instances  as  the  above,  large 
numbers  of  young  fellows  may  be  met  who  live  hard, 

1 1  have  a  letter  from  a  German  professor  before  me,  dated 
December  13th,  1914.  He  states  that  the  Bavarian  Government 
had  just  granted  the  funds  for  building  a  new  Technological- 
Chemistry  Institute  in  Erlangen.  Thus  even  in  war-time  the  Gov- 
ernment intends  to  see  that  the  universities  do  not  go  short. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  S9 

studious  lives,  whose  pluck  and  self-denial  (although 
compulsory)  deserve  unstinted  admiration.  On  the 
other  hand,  not  a  few  become  hardened  beer-drinkers, 
confirmed  loafers,  petty  criminals,  stealing  books, 
platinum,  etc.,  from  the  various  institutes,  or  lose 
themselves  utterly  in  the  primrose  paths  of  dalliance. 

Many  families  give  their  addresses  to  the  Vice- 
Chancellor,  signifying  their  willingness  to  give  poor 
students  free  meals  on  one  or  more  days  of  the  week. 

A  considerable  number  of  bursaries  are  at  the  dis- 
position of  the  Senate  to  help  poor  men,  so  that  if  the 
"  lame  dog  "  fails  to  get  over  the  stile  it  may  be 
largely  his  own  fault.  Out  of  fourteen  hundred  stu- 
dents at  Erlangen  no  fewer  than  thirty  per  cent,  were 
receiving  charitable  assistance  of  one  kind  or  another. 

The  German  student  does  not  live  in  a  palatial  col- 
lege, oppressed  by  the  financial  worry  of  having  to 
live  in  the  same  style  as  his  comrades.  He  can  hire 
a  room  where  he  pleases,  and  board  himself  accord- 
ing to  his  purse,  yet  there  are  thousands  of  men  who 
leave  the  universities  with  their  future  income  pledged 
for  years  in  advance,  which  doubtless  provides  a  fur- 
ther incentive  in  the  search  for  a  wife  with  means. 

The  men  are  truly  a  motley  crowd,  containing  a 
large  percentage  from  quite  poor  homes,  the  sons  of 
lower  oflicials  in  the  post  and  railway  services,  small 
tradesmen,  elementary  teachers,  caretakers,  com- 
missionaires, etc. 

Sons  of  officials  in  the  State  service  can  always  get 


40  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

the  fees  reduced;  the  sons  of  the  clergy  seldom  pay 
more  than  a  fifth,  while  the  children  of  professors  in 
the  universities  never  pay  any  fees  at  all.  College 
fees,  too,  are  ridiculously  small  to  our  ideas.  A  man 
studying  philosophy,  history,  languages  or  physical 
science  pays  four  or  five  shillings  per  hour  for  the 
whole  term.  If  he  enters  his  name  for  courses  of  lec- 
tures totalling  twenty-five  hours  in  the  week  he  will 
pay  either  £5  or  £6  for  the  whole  term's  lectures. 
There  are  only  two  terms  In  the  academic  year. 

The  consequence  of  making  a  university  career  so 
cheap  has  been  that  more  men  have  flocked  to  the 
learned  professions  than  the  latter  could  absorb,  with 
the  result  that  they  are  sadly  overcrowded.  The 
Bavarian  Government  has  issued  repeated  warnings 
in  recent  years  to  keep  men  from  going  to  the  uni- 
versities. 

In  the  case  of  teachers  employed  in  State  Second- 
ary Schools,  the  Government  published  a  notice  within 
the  last  twelve  months  announcing  that  there  were 
enough  university-trained  teachers  waiting  for  ap- 
pointments to  cover  the  demand  for  at  least  ten 
years;  i.e.,  a  young  man  who  completed  his  university 
course  in  19 14  could  only  hope  for  a  civil  service 
post  in  1924. 

The  sentiment  has  been  freely  expressed  in  aca- 
demic circles  that  a  war  is  necessary  to  thin  matters 
out  a  little.  Not  only  Is  Germany  suffering  from 
over-production  of  intellectual  material,  but  she  is 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  41 

suffering  from  what  is  dubbed  "  ein  akademlsches 
Proletariat."  That  is  to  say,  thousands  of  young 
fellows  who  lack  good  breeding,  who  have  never  felt 
the  best  influences  of  a  good  home,  crowd  the  uni- 
versities, where  they  are  crammed  with  learning,  but 
do  not  acquire  the  good  tone  of  a  gentleman.  The 
university  has  nothing  to  do  with  such  contemptible 
details  as  good  form,  tone  or  refinement  of  char- 
acter. Its  high  mission  is  purely  intellectual,  in  spite 
of  the  motto  over  its  portals,  Veritate^  humanitate  et 
virtute. 

After  a  long  and  close  connection  with  their  aca- 
demic life  it  seems  to  the  writer  that  German  con- 
ceptions of  these  qualities  are  fundamentally  dif- 
ferent from  those  accepted  in  England.  Perhaps 
they  are  right  and  we  are  wrong!  Who  knows? 
The  one  and  only  aim  seems  to  be  —  create  big 
brains  and  fill  them. 

Only  a  year  ago  a  member  of  one  of  Germany's 
noblest  families  was  heard  to  deplore  the  absence 
of  refinement,  distinguished  manners  and  high  ideals 
of  living  which  characterizes  the  German  professor's 
family  life.  He  spoke  with  truth,  for  these  things 
have  become  too  trivial  for  men  of  learning.  Often 
enough  they  are  lighthouses  of  knowledge  in  an  un- 
enlightened world,  but  rarely,  very  rarely  indeed, 
men  of  noble  character  whose  influence  on  those 
around  them  has  the  effect  of  that  subtle,  ethical  force 
which  we  call  goodness.     Students  take  the  same 


42  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

view  in  practice,  and  their  admiration  for  a  professor 
is  in  proportion  to  his  intellectual  achievements,  not 
his  moral  worth.  Many  of  these  gentlemen  who,  in 
the  author's  judgment,  seemed  estimable  men,  had 
no  following,  while  others,  whose  works  were  talked 
of  throughout  the  world,  were  heroes  to  the  stu- 
dents, although  most  Englishmen  would  hesitate  to 
invite  them  into  their  homes.^ 

These  words,  however,  will  suffice  to  show  that 
professorial  influence  makes  itself  felt  in  one  direc- 
tion only  —  towards  intellectualism  and  materialism. 
As  a  body  they  are  openly  contemptuous  and  hostile 
both  to  the  forms  and  spirit  of  religion;  even  on 
royal  birthdays,  when^the  whole  staff  is  invited  to  at- 
tend divine  service,  not  five  per  cent,  troubles  to  go, 
those  being  mostly  office-bearers. 

Professors  of  Divinity  stand  alone,  intellectually 
isolated,  and  to  a  certain  extent,  socially.  One 
ardent  disciple  of  Treitschke  told  the  writer  that  all 
"  the  wretched  theologians  ought  to  be  cleared  out 
of  the  universities,  as  Divinity  is  no  science,  but 
merely  an  Irish  stew  of  superstition  and  ignorance." 

2  A  few  years  ago  a  distinguished  professor  of  ancient  history 
jokingly  suggested  that  I  should  write  a  book  entitled,  '*  In  a  Small 
University  Town,"  as  a  sort  of  corollary  to  Lieutenant  Bilse's 
work,  "  In  a  Small  Garrison."  The  latter  work  unfolds  a  lurid 
picture  of  life  in  the  German  Army,  especially  of  the  pettiness  and 
immorality  prevailing  in  officers'  circles.  If  the  excavator  of  Nu- 
mantia  really  meant  that  such  material  is  at  hand  in  small  or 
large  German  university  towns,  I  quite  agree  with  him,  but  must 
decline  the  honour  (?)  obtainable  by  committing  it  to  paper. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  4S 

Another,  a  brilliant  exponent  of  ethics  as  well  as  the 
German  biographer  of  Carlyle,  expressed  the  opinion 
that,  if  he  were  compelled  to  choose  a  religion  at  all, 
his  choice  would  fall  on  Buddhism  as  the  only  one  of 
them  which  was  not  entirely  insulting  to  man's  reason. 
Religion  is  something  for  das  Folk,  to  quote  the 
phrase  which  educated  Germans  invariably  use  when 
expressing  their  lofty  contempt  for  the  less  favoured 
constituents  of  their  nation. 

In  the  Times  (December  22nd,  19 14)  Professor 
Sayce  raises  the  question  of  the  world's  intellectual 
debt  to  German  professors,  which  he  minimizes. 
The  present  writer  Is  Inclined  to  think  such  an  as- 
sumption far  too  drastic  to  be  defensible.  In  any 
case  the  issue  is  outside  the  limits  of  this  work;  here 
we  have  only  to  examine  the  position  and  Influence  of 
German  professors  within  the  Fatherland,  and  this, 
be  It  remembered,  Is  a  position  of  almost  unchallenged 
authority.  Their  Influence  Is,  as  stated  above,  entirely 
Intellectual  and  is  not  restricted  to  academic  circles, 
but  Is  evident  throughout  the  nation.  In  sentiment 
they  are,  as  a  class,  bitterly  Anglophobe,  seemingly 
Inspired  by  the  false  principle  that  you  must  run 
down  your  rival's  wares  In  order  to  puff  your  own. 

The  prevailing  opinion  may  be  expressed  In  the 
words  of  a  Bavarian  professor:  "I  like  English 
manners  and  modes  of  life,  but  I  hate  the  name  of 
political  England.  The  place  which  destiny  has  al- 
lotted to  you  in  the  world  prevents  our  just  develop- 


44  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

ment.  Added  to  which  your  Statesmen  display  a 
fiendish  Ingenuity  In  thwarting  our  peaceful  (?) 
progress.'' 

Their  activities  are  by  no  means  confined  to  uni- 
versity lecture-halls,  for  nearly  every  university  has 
one  or  more  representatives  either  In  the  Reichstag 
or  the  State  Diet.  Professor  Gelger,  of  Erlangen, 
was  for  many  years  leader  of  the  South  German 
Liberal  Party.  The  author  has  heard  this  gentleman 
say  on  more  than  one  occasion,  that  the  German 
fleet  was  a  menace  to  England,  and  that  he  compre- 
hended perfectly  England's  alarm  at  Its  development. 
Not  only  In  Parliament  but  on  the  public  plat- 
form the  university  professors  have  done  their  utmost 
to  cultivate  patriotism  (which  is  only  their  common 
right  and  duty).  But  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
the  German  academic  world  Is  saturated  with  the 
■  teachings  of  Treltschke.  Nearly  every  professor  of 
history  Is  a  disciple  .of  his ;  many  of  them  can  tell  of 
the  days  when  they  had  to  go  at  least  an  hour  before 
/  time  In  order  to  get  a  seat  in  Treltschke's  Berlin  lec- 
\  ture  hall.  Their  hearers  are  largely  men  who  are 
*  appointed  later  to  teach  history  In  the  State  Secon- 
dary Schools;  there  they  pass  on  to  younger  pupils 
what  they  have  Imbibed  In  the  university  concerning 
the  national  Idea  and  future.  This  enables  us  to  see 
at  a  glance  how  the  poison  disseminated  by  Helnrlch 
von  Treltschke  forty  years  ago  has  percolated 
through  to  nearly  every  educated  man  In  the  country. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  46 

Furthermore,  German  university  professors  have 
resorted  —  for  the  most  part  anonymously  —  to  the 
press  in  order  to  spread  their  national  dreams  among 
the  great  body  of  the  people.  The  literature  which 
the  German  Navy  League  has  spread  broadcast 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  has 
been  provided  to  a  very  considerable  extent  by  pro- 
fessorial pens,  but  this  was  not  within  the  knowledge 
of  the  general  public.  Neither  did  the  readers  of 
pan-German  organs  Imagine  that  many  of  the  articles 
on  Weltpolitik  came  from  the  same  source;  but  in 
order  to  clinch  this  matter  one  definite  Instance  may 
be  cited. 

During  the  excitement  In  Europe  occasioned  by  the 
Agadir  crisis  there  was  especial  glee  among  Erlangen 
professors.  An  article  written  by  one  of  them  was 
being  discussed  throughout  the  country  and  beyond. 
Its  title  was  "  Endlich  ein  Schlag  "  ("A  blow  at 
last "),  and  It  appeared  In  Krupp's  organ,  Rheinisch 
Westfdlische  Zeitung,  Needless  to  add,  its  tenor 
was  warlike  and  inflammatory  to  a  degree,  in  short 
not  at  all  what  "  the  man  In  the  street  '*  would  ex- 
pect from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Schulten,  Professor  of  An- 
cient History,  the  holder  of  several  decorations, 
Prussian  and  foreign. 

German  professors  are  generally  supposed  to  en- 
joy absolute  freedom  In  their  scientific  Investigation 
and  teaching.  They  are  expected  to  seek  truth  and 
proclaim  It.     In  some  respects  this  is  true  to  an  ex- 


46  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

tent  difficult  to  find  elsewhere.  The  theologian  may 
announce  to  the  world  that  the  Bible  is  a  collection 
of  fables,  Jesus  Christ  a  mere  man,  and  so  dilute  the 
teachings  of  Christianity  that  they  sink  to  the  level 
of  iEsop's  Fables.  A  philosopher  like  Nietzsche 
taught  the  morality  of  the  farmyard  and  the  divine 
right  of  brute  force  from  the  dignified  position  of  a 
professor's  chair.  Nevertheless  there  are  limita- 
tions to  this  seeming  liberty,  but  the  restrictions  are 
so  vital  as  to  make  it  valueless  in  the  domain  where 
it  Is  most  needed. 

The  universities  are  State  Institutions  and  every 
man  engaged  in  them  a  civil  servant.  Immediately 
a  man  enters  upon  his  duties  he  receives  an  invitation 
from  the  Academic  Registrar  to  appear  at  his  office 
and  take  the  oath.  In  the  presence  of  the  Vice- 
Chancellor  and  a  witness  the  Registrar  reads  the 
oath,  which  the  new-comer  then  signs.  Its  terms  for- 
bid him  to  do,  write,  or  say  anything  subversive  to 
the  Interests  of  King  and  State.  Thus  his  political 
activities  and  influence  can  only  be  exercised  In  one 
direction.  Should  he  cherish  opinions  antagonistic 
to  existing  conditions  he  is  very  effectively  gagged 
from  criticizing  the  great  Moloch  —  the  State.  If 
he  had  the  temerity  to  break  this  oath  he  would  brand 
himself  with  dishonour,  and  without  doubt  court  in- 
stant dismissal,  after  which  no  other  State  in  the  Em- 
pire would  need  his  services.  Even  the  great  lights 
such  as  Harnack,  Haeckel,  Eucken  and  Brentano  have 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  4.7 

all  signed  their  names  on  such  "  scraps  of  paper." 

In  the  light  of  these  facts  their  activity  (?)  before 
the  war  —  in  omitting  to  denounce  the  glaring  in- 
justices which  stalk  in  broad  daylight  In  Germany, 
and  their  activity  after  the  war  began  —  In  apprais- 
ing German  Kultur  and  denouncing  England's  per- 
fidious barbarism,  shows  them  to  be  what  they  really 
are  —  paid,  obedient  servants  of  the  State. 

Another  lesson  has  to  be  drawn,  viz.,  the  pro- 
fessors of  history  may  only  present  German  history 
and  aims  in  a  favourable  light;  they  are  reduced  to 
the  role  of  propagandists  or  on  occasion  ruthless  per- 
verters  of  English  history  and  ideals. 

Two  years  ago  the  playwright,  Gerhart  Haupt- 
mann,  wrote  a  historical  play  whose  scene  was  laid 
in  the  year  1813.  The  piece,  which  was  to  be  an  at- 
traction in  the  Breslau  19 13  Centenary  Exhibition, 
presented  the  Kaiser's  ancestor  Frederick  as  a  mere 
puppet  in  the  hands  of  Napoleon,  and  Germany's 
real  deliverers  to  be  Stein,  Bliicher,  Gnelsenau,  etc. 
This  is  historically  true,  but  the  present  Emperor  re- 
fused to  open  the  exhibition  unless  the  play  was 
abandoned.  It  was  abandoned,  with  a  loss  of  thou- 
sands of  pounds  to  the  city,  a  part  of  which  the 
Kaiser  paid  out  of  his  own  privy  purse. 

If  a  comparatively  free  agent,  like  the  dramatist 
Hauptmann,  may  not  write  historical  truth,  how 
much  more  does  that  apply  to  a  professor  who  re- 
ceives his  daily  bread  from  State  sources!     How, 


48  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

too,  can  the  professors  of  law  —  every  university 
has  a  Faculty  of  Law  —  under  whom  all  the  lawyers 
in  the  realm  must  have  studied,  how  can  these  explore 
the  domains  of  abstract  justice,  when  the  results  of 
their  investigations  may  condemn  the  existing  laws 
upon  which  the  German  State  is  based  ?  Three  years 
ago  Dr.  Julius  Binder,  then  Vice-Chancellor  of 
Erlangen  University,  declaimed  in  full  congregation, 
that  the  State  is  perfectly  free  to  ride  over  any  and 
every  right  in  asserting  its  will.  No!  these  gentle- 
men do  not  enjoy  freedom  of  thought  or  speech; 
their  main  office  is  to  bolster  up  the  existing  condi- 
tions from  which  they  themselves  live. 

Along  with  the  intellectual  glamour  surrounding 
the  ancient  universities  of  Germany,  there  is  another 
aspect  which  has  often  been  described  but,  perhaps, 
never  critically  estimated  in  its  far-reaching  influence. 
At  each  of  these  seats  of  learning  the  students  form 
themselves  into  societies  or  corporations.  Such  men 
are  styled  '^  Inkorporierten,"  while  all  outsiders  are 
dubbed  *'  Obscuranten."  These  corporations  play 
a  most  influential  part  not  only  in  the  life  of  the  uni- 
versity but  also  in  the  wider  sphere  of  national  life. 
They  may  be  roughly  divided  into  duelling  and  anti- 
duelling  (or  Christian)  societies.  The  influence 
of  the  former  may  be  described  as  entirely  baneful. 

Several  types  of  these  clubs  are  extant;  all  those 
of  the  same  type  are  affiliated,  with  central  com- 
mittees possessing  certain  powers  of  organization,  in- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  49 

eluding  the  right  to  exclude  any  single  member  or 
club  which  has  offended  against  the  regulations. 

First  among  these  corporations  are  the  "  Corps.*' 
They  are  wealthy  as  well  as  socially  au  fait  and  gen- 
erally possess  splendid  club-houses.  Next  In  power 
come  the  "  Burschenschaften  "  (Fellowships),  which 
are,  furthermore,  political  factors.  Their  members 
are  sworn  to  chastity  during  the  two  years'  active 
membership,  which  is  certainly  one  ray  of  light  amid 
the  dark,  egoistic  paganism  of  German  university  life. 

Lastly,  and  least  important  of  the  three,  there 
are  the  "  Landsmannschaften,"  the  members  of 
which  are  pledged  to  give  or  demand  "  Satisfaction  " 
in  defence  of  their  honour.  It  Is  the  two  former  to 
which  most  of  the  following  considerations  are  de- 
voted. 

While  still  at  school  the  elder  scholars  begin  to 
take  sides  on  the  duelling  question;  before  proceed- 
ing to  the  university  they  have  generally  decided 
whether  they  will  enter  a  corporation  at  all,  and 
which  type  attracts  them. 

Between  all  kinds  of  corporations  there  is  more  or 
less  active  hatred  and  opposition.  A  corps  student 
will  generally  decline  an  invitation  if  he  knows  that 
members  of  other  incorporated  students  will  be  in 
the  company. 

Some  years  ago  the  students  gave  a  humorous 
evening  for  some  charitable  purpose  in  Erlangen. 
After  the  usual  performance  there  followed  a  few 


50  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

hours'  dancing,  and  some  young  ladies  whom  we 
had  Introduced  for  that  event,  danced  several  times 
with  some  "  Fellowship "  men.  They  had  good 
friends  among  the  corps  students,  who,  however,  ig- 
nored their  presence  I 

Young  ladies  in  the  district  who  accept  invita- 
tions to  dances  or  such-like  diversions  given  by  non- 
corps  students  may  never  hope  to  be  invited  to  any 
function  held  In  a  corps-house.  Such  are  samples  of 
the  ridiculous  caste  spirit  which  they  successfully  im- 
pose upon  modern  Germany.  Their  contempt  for 
members  of  other  clubs  is  supreme.  If  a  beer-house 
brawl  occurs  (which  is  frequently  the  case),  they  will 
give  satisfaction  to  their  opponents  with  the  sword, 
but  do  not  wear  the  corps  colours  during  the  fray. 

At  Erlangen  there  are  four  Corps  (including  the 
oldest  In  Germany)  and  four  Burschenschaften. 
Their  total  active  membership  Is  about  three  hun- 
dred, yet  their  power  Is  enormously  out  of  proportion 
to  their  numerical  strength.  Even  a  member  of  the 
Senate  —  or  even  the  Senate  Itself  —  would  think 
twice  before  getting  Into  an  open  conflict  with  cer- 
tain of  them.  In  fact  far  too  much  Is  done  to  con- 
ciliate the  corps  when  grievances  arise. 

During  his  two  years  of  active  membership  the 
student  Is  subject  to  the  rules  of  his  corporation. 
These  Include :  —  unquestioning  obedience  to  its  offi- 
cials ;  secrecy  —  so  beloved  of  Germans ;  eight  hours' 
attendance  in  the  fencing  school  weekly;  he  must 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  51 

fight  duels  (Mensur)^  when  called  upon;  he  must 
attend  a  certain  number  of  beer-drinkings  (Kneipe) 
weekly;  he  must  parade  the  chief  streets  between 
5  and  6  p.m.,  Sunday  mornings  ii  a.m  till  i  p.m. 
and  wear  the  club  colours.  In  short  a  great  many 
"  musts  "  are  brought  to  bear  upon  him,  all  of  which 
combined  go  to  make  a  good  man  into  a  swaggering 
bully,  without  proper  respect  for  the  rights  of  others. 
The  author  is  in  the  unfortunate  position  of  flatly 
contradicting  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II.,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  "Bonner  Borussen ''  (The  Prussians);  His 
Majesty  occasionally  visits  this  corps  —  notorious 
for  its  exploits  against  the  inoffensive  citizens  of 
Bonn.  On  one  such  occasion,  May  7th,  1891,  the 
Kaiser,  in  addressing  his  "  brothers,"  said :  "  It 
is  my  firm  conviction  that  every  young  man  who  joins 
a  corps  imbibes  the  spirit  which  prevails  in  it,  and  that 
spirit  inspires  the  motives  which  direct  his  whole  life. 
It  is  the  best  education  which  a  young  man  can  have 
for  his  later  life.  The  men  who  make  German  corps 
a  butt  for  their  scorn  do  not  know  their  real  tend- 
encies." The  Emperor  had,  no  doubt,  an  appreci- 
ative audience,  for  the  Bonner  Borussen  are  all  sons 
of  the  nobility  —  Prussian  Junkerdom.  The  mem- 
bers of  this  corps  are  certain  of  a  favourable  recep- 
tion at  Court,  and  equally  certain  to  obtain  the  best 
appointments  in  the  German  State  and  Army.  It  is 
openly  stated  in  the  Fatherland  that  the  present 
Chancellor  —  Bethmann-Hollweg  —  has      obtained 


5a  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

his  office,  not  by  merit,  but  through  the  accident  that 
he  and  the  Kaiser  are  *'  corps-brothers,"  which  means 
that  both  studied  brutal  self-assertion  in  the  same 
school. 

The  beer  carousals  are  one  of  the  lesser  evils, 
though  on  special  occasions  they  often  degenerate 
into  such  disgusting  orgies  that  a  neighbouring  room 
has  to  be  used  as  a  Totenkammer  (chamber  for  the 
dead) ,  into  which  the  "  blind,  speechless  paralytics  " 
are  dragged  to  sleep  off  the  effects  of  the  libations  to 
Gambrinus. 

During  his  first  three  years  at  a  German  university 
the  writer  smothered  his  disgust  to  attend  the  func- 
tions of  these  corporations,  and  has  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  them.  He  remembers  many  decent 
young  fellows  whose  progress  In  the  school  of  bru- 
tality he  was  able  to  observe,  till  they  became  vulgar 
bullies. 

All  the  members  of  a  corporation  are  on  terms  of 
brotherhood  and  address  each  other  with  the  famil- 
iar du  (thou).  At  the  end  of  their  first  term  the 
young  members  go  through  the  ordeal  known  as 
"  burning  the  foxes."  On  such  occasions  ladles  may 
be  admitted  to  the  galleries.  (In  academic  life,  if 
women  are  permitted  to  take  part  at  all,  they  are  gen- 
erally relegated  to  the  gallery.)  Towards  the  close 
of  an  evening  occupied  with  beer-drinking,  toasts, 
and  other  formalities,  the  "  foxes  "  withdraw  to  the 
next  room  and  the  whole  company  lines  up,  leaving  a 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  53 

passage  for  the  foxes  to  pass  through.  Everybody 
is  provided  with  a  torch,  and  at  a  given  signal  the 
first  fox  comes  careering,  astride  a  chair,  down  be- 
tween the  two  lines.  During  his  gallop  of  some 
thirty  yards  he  is  belaboured  on  his  head  and  shoul- 
ders with  the  torches.  His  mad  charge  comes  to  an 
end  in  the  arms  of  a  couple  of  waiters,  who  quickly 
envelop  him  In  wet  towels.  Sometimes  torches  are 
replaced  by  canes,  but  the  result  Is  the  same  —  the 
fox  is  transformed  into  a  Bruder  or  a  Bursche, 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the  duels  com- 
monly called  "  Bestimmungsmensur,''  and  as  these 
are  the  fundamental  process  in  brutalizing  the  men 
they  deserve  a  more  detailed  account.  They  continue 
throughout  term-time  on  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays 
and  are  held  in  country  inns  or  town  beer  houses,  or 
even  In  forest  glades.  No  burning  wrong  or  biting 
insult  is  necessary  to  set  their  machinery  in  motion. 

One  corporation  calmly  invites  another  —  though 
always  of  the  same  type  —  to  put  up  ten  men  or 
more  on  a  stated  day.  The  invitation  is  promptly 
accepted  and  a  rendezvous  chosen.  On  such  days 
one  may  see  brakes  full  of  students  leisurely  leaving 
the  town.  The  police  see  them  —  the  man  in  the 
street  too  —  but  although  the  whole  procedure  Is  an 
open  contravention  of  the  country's  laws,  nobody 
dreams  of  interfering.  In  fact  people  often  follow 
to  look  on  at  the  "  sport."  Next  day  or  even  on  the 
same  evening  you  may  see  the  heroes  parading  the 


54.  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

street  in  black  skull-caps  and  ostentatious  bandages 
round  cheek  and  head;  that  first  parade  is  one  of  the 
proudest,  happiest  moments  in  the  life  of  a  corps- 
student  1 

Let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  the  Mensur,  It  is  a 
small  hall  with  a  confined  space  in  the  centre. 
Walls,  ceiling  and  floor  are  stained  with  the  evi- 
dences of  past  encounters.  Two  wooden  figures-, 
standing  in  a  preposterous  attitude,  face  each  other 
with  long  swords  raised  above  their  heads,  which 
clash  at  the  command  *'  Los !  "  Every  head  In  the 
crowded,  smoky,  beery  atmosphere  is  turned  to- 
wards the  opponents,  who  proceed  to  hack  each 
other's  heads  and  faces  according  to  the  regulations. 

There  is  no  excitement,  only  callous  blood-lust  dis- 
played; after  each  round  the  weapons  are  disinfected, 
and  when  one  man  has  lost  enough  blood  or  is  so  in- 
jured that  his  skill  deteriorates,  his  friends  withdraw 
him.  Two  other  combatants  begin  anew  and  after 
them  still  more  from  early  morning  till  evening. 
Opponents  are  often  personal  friends,  but  that  makes 
no  difference  to  the  etiquette  —  which  demands  abso- 
lute politeness  to  each  other.  Feelings  may  not  enter 
into  the  affair  —  the  Ideal  duellist,  under  these  con- 
ditions, is  an  animated  block  of  wood. 

During  his  two  years'  active  service  every  member 
must  attend  on  such  occasions  whether  he  Is  fighting 
or  not.  There  Is  no  romance,  no  animosity  on  either 
side;  It  Is  simply  a  blood  orgy,  with  little  danger 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  55 

to  the  participants  —  but  numerous  later  benefits  I 

Casualties  are  rare,  and  when  a  death  ensues  it  is 
generally  caused  by  something  as  prosaic  as  blood- 
poisoning.  Yet  these  are  among  the  most  cherished 
and  revered  customs  in  Germany.  The  young  man 
who  has  obtained  his  blood-degree  is  society's  dar- 
ling. Even  if  his  academic  degree  be  a  third  class 
and  his  general  ability  below  mediocre,  still  his  corps- 
brothers  in  high  places  will  look  after  him. 

We  must  not  forget  that  the  graduates  in  the 
school  of  blood  do  occupy  high  places  in  diplomacy, 
in  the  army  and  navy,  in  short,  in  every  branch  of 
public  life.  It  is,  in  fact,  men  from  the  schools  of 
brutality  who  have  ruled  Germany's  destinies  for 
over  half  a  century.  Their  code  of  honour  is  to 
smile  and  bow  while  engaged  in  hacking  a  friend  to 
pieces :  it  is  the  non  plus  ultra  of  playing  the  game  on 
Teutonic  lines. 

Every  year  each  corporation  publishes  a  report  of 
its  proceedings ;  these  publications  are  strictly  secret, 
being  only  issued  to  active  and  past  members.  The 
author  had  the  good  fortune  to  read  some  published 
by  the  most  famous  Burschenschaft  in  the  Father- 
land, viz.,  "  die  Germania,"  Erlangen.  Besides  re- 
ports of  the  various  festivities,  they  contained  ac- 
counts of  the  Mensur  fought  during  the  year. 

In  addition  to  these  formal  affairs,  the  duels 
fought  in  defence  of  "  honour  "  were  tabulated,  to- 
gether with  the  quarrels  which  gave  rise  to  them. 


56  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

There  were  formal  descriptions  of  how  Herr  X.  Y. 
felt  himself  aggrieved  by  Herr  A.  B.  on  the  occasion 
of  some  village  fair  or  other.  On  receiving  no  satis- 
factory explanation  of  A.  B.'s  behaviour  (staring  or 
some  other  ridiculous  pretext) ,  X.  Y.  boxed  the  other 
man's  ears,  exchanged  cards,  referred  the  affair  to  a 
court  of  honour,  and  received  satisfaction.  (We 
will  hope  that  X.  Y.  was  really  satisfied!)  Several 
pages  of  printed  matter  were  necessary  to  recount 
the  Germania's  heroic  deeds  performed  in  one  year; 
these  deeds  included  such  exploits  as  spitting  or  being 
spat  upon,  boxing  somebody's  ears,  or  having  one's 
face  smacked  —  Teutonic  amenities  among  German 
gentlemen ! 

German  ladies  literally  scramble  in  their  en- 
deavours to  get  their  daughters'  names  on  the  invi- 
tation lists  of  these  corporations,  which  exercise  a 
petty  social  tyranny.  (Germans  from  the  top  to  the 
bottom  of  the  social  ladder  submit  all  their  lives  to 
more  or  less  tyranny,  sustaining  themselves  with  the 
hope  of  becoming  tyrants  too.) 

An  amazing  side  of  the  social  functions  given  by 
the  students'  corporations,  and  which  Germans  con- 
sider it  such  an  honour  to  attend,  is  that  the  guests 
must  pay  for  all  the  refreshments  they  consume, 
which  means  that  the  hosts  derive  considerable  profit 
from  their  guests'  corporeal  appetites. 

It  is  evident  that  if  the  fair  sex  display  such  eager- 
ness to  share  the  company  of  these  "  supermen " 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  57 

they  cannot  expect  that  chivalrous  respect  which 
womanhood  should  inspire.  The  writer  could  re- 
count endless  episodes  to  illustrate  the  odious  bad 
manners  which  prevail  among  incorporated  students; 
but  let  one  instance  suffice. 

On  the  day  after  the  "  foxes  "  have  been  burned, 
all  the  members  of  the  club  march  through  the  town 
to  visit  any  old  members  (Philister)  who  may  reside 
in  it.  Lavish  hospitality  is  provided  for  them,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  day  few  of  them  are  free  from  the 
influence  of  alcohol.  On  these  occasions  there  is 
the  usual  horseplay  which  young  fellows  out  for  a 
spree  are  permitted  to  indulge  in;  it  is  sometimes 
funny,  sometimes  exceedingly  coarse. 

The  round  includes  a  visit  to  the  State  Secondary 
School,  where  sundry  windows  are  smashed  with 
such  harmless  missiles  as  oranges. 

A  few  years  ago,  while  the  staff  of  the  Erlangen 
Gymnasium  was  sitting  in  solemn  conclave,  an  orange, 
thrown  by  a  member  of  Germany's  oldest  corps 
(Onoldia),  smashed  the  spectacles  of  one  of  the 
masters.  The  Vice-Principal  of  the  school  took  it 
upon  himself  to  protest  in  terms  fitting  the  occasion. 
The  corps  was  highly  indignant  that  a  Vice-Principal, 
above  all  a  Roman  Catholic,  should  dare  to  scold 
them  for  their  ill-behaviour,  and  threatened  dire  re- 
venge. Luckily  Dr.  W.  received  a  friendly  hint  that 
members  of  the  Onoldia  intended  to  waylay  him  one 
dark  night  in  order  to  wipe  out  the  insult  by  adminis- 


58  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

tering  a  thrashing.  This  heroic  deed  was  fortu- 
nately frustrated  by  the  gentleman  in  question  taking 
the  necessary  precautions. 

Failing  to  execute  their  revenge  upon  a  man,  the 
corporation  proceeded  in  true  German  fashion  to 
vent  their  spleen  upon  a  woman.  Dr.  W.'s  daugh- 
ter, a  girl  of  seventeen,  had  to  pass  the  Onoldia  corps- 
house  on  her  shopping  expeditions.  These  oppor- 
tunities the  "  corps-brothers  "  used  to  wound  her  re- 
ligious susceptibilities;  as  the  young  lady  passed  the 
heroes  lined  up  to  chant  the  Ave  Maria,  Her  father 
told  the  author  that  he  did  not  complain  to  the 
Senate,  because  he  knew  where  the  sympathies  of 
those  in  power  lay,  for  many  of  the  professors  had 
been  corps-students  themselves.  He  treated  such  be- 
haviour with  the  contempt  which  it  deserved.  Un- 
fortunately conduct  of  this  kind,  and  the  petty,  spite- 
ful spirit  which  feels  no  dishonour  in  molesting  a 
woman,  is  only  too  common  among  the  under-gradu- 
ates  in  the  school  for  bullies. 

In  summoning  up  this  most  important  side  of  Ger- 
man life,  it  is  only  fair  to  state  that  German  ideals 
are  different  to  those  pursued  in  British  universities. 
Freed  from  the  iron  discipline  of  the  school,  the 
young  German  plunges  into  die  akademische  Freiheit 
(academic  liberty),  which  permits  him  to  do  as  he 
likes,  assuming  that  he  does  not  break  the  eleventh 
commandment.^     Removed    from   the   restraint   of 

^Lass  dich  nicht  erivischenf     (Do  not  get  caught!) 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  59 

home  and  its  influences  —  and  good  home  influences 
are  rare  in  modern  Germany  —  the  student  finds  him- 
self in  an  atmosphere  of  intellectual  materialism 
from  which  religious  and  moral  forces  have  been 
banished.  In  this  world  he  soon  discovers  that  to 
be  a  hero  he  must  belong  to  the  fighting,  swaggering, 
drinking,  Don  Juan  class.  He  brings  no  sporting  in- 
stincts from  the  school  and  acquires  none  at  the  uni- 
versity.^ 

The  man  Is  thrown  entirely  upon  himself;  not 
even  his  social  instincts  are  catered  for  except  in  the 
corporations  and  by  public  houses  and  beer-gardens. 
Professors  seldom  invite  the  students  to  their  homes, 
but  even  then  the  intercourse  lacks  all  bonds  of  hu- 
man sympathy.  It  would  seem  that  the  chief  aim  of 
German  professors  is  to  get  large  numbers  of  stu- 
dents, so  that  their  college  fees  are  increased  in  pro- 
portion; but  the  moral,  spiritual  or  social  welfare  of 
their  pupils  are  matters  entirely  beneath  their  dig- 
nity. 

It  has  already  been  pointed  out  that  German  pro- 
fessors are  dependent  upon  the  State  as  it  exists  to- 
day, and  it  would  be  invidious  to  hope  that  they 
will  emulate  Samson  in  pulling  down  the  pillars  of 
the  edifice. 

4  Last  July  (1914)  about  twenty  students  took  part  In  the  aca- 
demic sports  held  in  Erlangen.  There  were  nearly  one  thousand 
four  hundred  students  enrolled  during  that  term,  and  these  num- 
bers give  a  very  correct  idea  of  the  popularity  of  open-air  sports 
among  German  students. 


CHAPTER  IV 

RELIGION   IN   THE    FATHERLAND 

IN  a  nation,  as  in  the  Individual,  there  are  forces 
for  good  and  evil;  unless  the  former  predomi- 
nate, or  are  at  least  sufficiently  powerful  to  neutralize 
the  tendency  to  evil-doing,  we  may  expect  a  criminal 
outbreak.  Before  a  man  sinks  to  the  level  known 
as  criminal,  a  psychological  change  goes  on  in  him 
before  he  reaches  the  "  frame  of  mind "  which 
prompts  him  to  become  either  a  burglar  or  mur- 
derer: that  is  to  say  —  supposing,  of  course,  that  the 
higher  instincts  have  existed  in  him  —  that  the  bal- 
ance of  those  forces  which  tell  for  good  and  evil  has 
been  disturbed.  In  the  same  way  the  ballast  of 
good  in  a  nation  may  be  displaced  or  even  thrown 
overboard.  Just  as  the  individual  may  lose  the 
power  of  distinguishing  between  right  and  wrong, 
or  his  mental  state  may  become  such,  that  he  prefers 
the  wrong,  so  It  Is  too  In  the  case  of  nations.  Na- 
tional conscience  may  contract  the  same  diseases  as 
that  of  an  Individual.  In  order  to  explain  Ger- 
many's national  crime  In  precipitating  the  present 
world  war,  it  is  necessary  to  suppose  that  the  forces 
for  good  in  the  nation  had  succumbed  to  those  which 

60 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  61 

lead  to  evil;  In  some  manner,  more  or  less  easy  to 
trace,  the  national  conscience  had  been  perverted; 
the  predisposition  to  criminality  must  have  been 
present,  or,  in  other  words,  Germany  had  arrived  at 
a  state  of  mind  similar  to  that  found  in  a  criminal, 
who  commits  burglary  with  violence. 

Of  all  the  forces  which  tend  to  Increase  the 
amount  of  positive  good  in  a  nation  and  to  combat 
Inclinations  to  evil,  religion  undoubtedly  stands  pre- 
eminent. It  is  the  author's  endeavour  in  the  pres- 
ent chapter  to  show  that  this  factor  for  good  has 
become  non-eifectlve  in  the  national  life  of  Germany, 
that  this  divine  influence  has  been  —  to  use  a  Ger- 
man idiom  taken  from  the  electrical  world  — 
"  switched  off." 

In  his  essay  on  Martin  Luther  ("Heroes  and 
Hero- Worship  ")  Thomas  Carlyle  maintains  that 
"  a  man's  rehgion  is  the  most  important  thing  about 
him";  who  would  dispute  that  this  dictum  does  not 
apply  with  equal  truth  to  a  community  of  men? 
The  term  religion  must,  however,  be  Interpreted  in. 
a  much  wider  sense  than  a  mere  creed,  rather  as  the 
power  to  distinguish  between  right  and  wrong  and 
the  will  to  do  right.  A  nation's  religion  should  in- 
clude its  ideals  of  action  and  being,  together  with 
the  "  national  conscience,"  which,  after  all,  is  the 
sum  total  of  myriads  of  individual  consciences.  An 
average  of  all  the  good  and  evil  in  all  the  units  mak- 
ing up  the  nation  would  exactly  give  the  national 


6a  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

conscience,  and  this  should  be  "  the  gleam  *'  which 
acts  as  a  guiding  light  to  national  doings. 

Since  St.  Boniface  Introduced  Christianity  into 
Germany  its  doctrines  have  had  a  remarkable  his- 
tory. But  to  anyone  who  has  observed  the  religious 
life  of  modern  Germany  it  would  seem  that  the 
passing  centuries  have  only  served  to  extract  the 
spirit  of  Christ  from  his  teachings,  leaving  only  the 
outer  husk  —  the  dry  bones  of  dogma  and  formality. 
Bones  which  still  excite  never-ending  strife  and  con- 
tention, although  every  vestige  of  the  meat  of  grace 
has  long  since  disappeared. 

German  genius  Is  the  genius  of  order  and  organ- 
ization. Every  department  In  the  great  national 
bee-hive  is  organized  —  Including  the  one  for  reli- 
gion—  and  here  the  organization  genius  has  run 
amuck !  The  essential  part,  the  spiritual,  ethical  or 
divine  element,  Is  an  Intangible  something  which 
defies  human  organization. 

Germany  has  not  succeeded  in  taming  and  organ- 
izing "  the  wind  which  bloweth  where  It  llsteth,  and 
no  man  knows  whence  It  cometh  or  whither  it  goeth." 
She  has,  however,  succeeded  In  building  up  a  wonder- 
fully well-ordered  State  Church.  Each  separate 
German  State  manages  Its  own  internal  affairs: 
therefore  in  each  capital  —  Berlin,  Munich,  Dres- 
den, etc. —  there  is  a  government  office  which  ar- 
ranges the  church  and  school  affairs  of  the  State  in 
question.     Its  official  title  is  das  Ministerium  fiir 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  63 

Kirchen-  und  Schulangelegenheitetiy  or  It  Is  often 
styled  das  Kultus minis terium.  The  chief  of  this 
office  Is  In  most  cases  a  lawyer  and  a  member  of  the 
cabinet.  The  Minister  for  Culture  represents  the 
Church  or  rather  Churches  —  because  both  the  Prot- 
estant and  Catholic  confessions  are  under  his  paternal 
care  —  in  parliament. 

The  Lutheran,  Roman  Catholic  and  Anglican 
forms  of  faith  are  permitted  all  over  Germany, 
while  the  two  first  are  established  and  supported  out 
of  the  public  funds.  If  any  part  of  the  public  de- 
sires to  enter  heaven  by  any  other  than  by  the 
Lutheran  or  Roman  Catholic  paths,  they  must  ob- 
tain permission  from  the  Minister  for  Church  and 
School  affairs.  That  gentleman  has  the  power  to 
admit  or  exclude  any  new  faith  from  his  domains. 
In  Prussia  various  sects  have  already  established 
themselves,  but  in  Bavaria  only  Methodism  has  so 
far  succeeded  In  getting  a  foothold. 

Some  years  ago  the  Salvation  Army  petitioned  for 
the  right  to  hold  services  In  Bavaria.  There  was 
consternation  in  the  divinity  dovecots  at  the  univer- 
sities, and  Professor  Dr.  Theodor  von  Kolde,^  a 
leading  light  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  professor  of 
historical  religion  at  Erlangen  University,  a  pon- 
derous divine  without  either  wit,  humour  or  piety, 

^The  writer  was  for  seven  years  personally  acquainted  with  this 
gentleman,  and  could  conscientiously  give  him  a  first-class  certifi- 
cate for  fanatical  bigotry,  notwithstanding  his  boasted  friendship 
with  Bishop  Creighton. 


64  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

wrote  a  stodgy  work  on  the  Salvation  Army,  with 
the  result  that  the  Minister  for  Culture  at  Munich 
refused  to  let  loose  such  a  dangerous  heretical  army 
upon  the  Bavarian  faithful.  Without  exaggeration 
this  serves  as  a  typical  example  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  Cabinet  Minister  combines  with  his  serv- 
ants, the  Professors  of  Theology,  to  prevent  wolves 
from  entering  the  Lutheran  or  Roman  Catholic 
sheep-fold;  further  it  defines  very  exactly  the  mean- 
ing of  "  liberty  of  conscience  '*  as  understood  among 
Germans. 

Within  the  pale  of  the  Churches  this  Minister's 
authority  is  practically  unlimited;  the  same  is  true 
of  the  State  Universities  and  Secondary  Schools. 
He  controls  the  purse-strings  and  no  appointment  Is 
valid  without  his  consent;  indeed  most  livings  are  In 
his  gift.  Next  to  him  in  power  and  influence  are  the 
Professors  of  Divinity  and  the  Consistorium,  or 
Church  Council. 

Members  of  this  Council  receive  much  higher 
salaries  than  pastors  and  a  great  part  of  their  time 
Is  devoted  to  organization;  these  are  the  highest  po- 
sitions In  the  Lutheran  Church  and  to  a  certain 
extent  correspond  to  the  bishoprics  In  the  Roman 
Church.  But  all  of  these  down  to  the  humblest 
curate  receive  their  appointments,  livings,  etc.,  from 
the  Kultusminister^  whose  disciplinary  powers  are 
just  as  far-reaching  In  his  domain  as  the  Minister 
for  War's  in  the  German  army. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  65 

Thus  the  German  Church  is  guided  by  a  sort  of 
trinity :  God,  who  is  the  virtual  head,  the  Kaiser,  its 
nominal  chief,  aided  by  the  Minister  for  Worship 
and  Education,  who  In  reality  is  its  supreme  head. 

The  rank  and  file  of  the  ministry  are  gentlemen 
who  certainly  command  personal  respect.  A  Ger- 
man Pfarrer  is  a  good  family  man^  a  good  com- 
panion In  the  Biergarten,  learned  in  his  particular 
branch  of  knowledge,  mildly  interested  in  social,  po- 
litical and  scientific  problems,  exceedingly  discreet  In 
his  utterances,  profoundly  respectful  to  the  powers- 
that-be,  with  a  leaning  to  reverence  for  the  State  — 
especially  that  part  of  It  known  as  the  Offizierskorps. 
In  short  he  Is  a  quiet,  orderly  member  of  society, 
neither  harmful  nor  a  great  power  for  good,  a  col- 
ourless neutral,  but  above  all,  a  well-disciplined 
German  civil  servant.  He  was  not  cast  in  the 
mould  which  produces  leaders  of  thought  or  action 
—  the  mantle  of  Martin  Luther  has  not  fallen  on 
him.  It  would  be  unjust  to  question  his  goodness, 
but  It  Is  of  the  mild,  obedient  kind  tolerated  by  the 
German  State.  With  regard  to  the  rights  and  lib- 
erties of  German  clergy,  we  can  hear  no  higher 
authority  than  the  Kaiser,  who  Is  the  head  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  On  February  28th,  1896,  WIl- 
helm  IL  telegraphed  to  Herr  Hintzpeter  concerning 
the  downfall  of  Pfarrer  Stocker  In  the  following 
terms :  "  Stocker  is  finished,  as  I  prophesied  years 
ago.     Political  parsons  are  an  absurdity.     The  man 


66  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

who  Is  a  Christian  Is  also  a  Socialist.  Christian 
Socialism  Is  nonsense  which  leads  to  Intolerance  and 
presumption,  both  of  which  are  diametrically  op- 
posed to  Christianity.  The  parsons  must  look  after 
the  souls  of  their  flocks,  cultivate  neighbourly  love. 
But  they  must  leave  politics  alone,  for  It  does  not 
concern  them  In  the  least.'* 

It  Is  to  be  regretted  that  the  deputations  of  Ger- 
man clergy  who  visited  this  country  In  the  Interests 
of  peace  did  not  proclaim  their  master's  opinion  on 
their  political  activities,  and  It  Is  still  more  regret- 
table that  English  people  attached  any  Importance 
to  these  gentlemen.  They  were  not  empowered  to 
make  peace  with  England;  they  had  no  Influence 
whatever  on  the  course  of  events  In  Germany,  and 
the  only  mission  which  they  could  perform  was  to 
strew  dust  In  English  eyes.  Since  the  war  com- 
menced they  have  again  mingled  In  politics  by  strew- 
ing the  "  dust  of  manifestoes,"  doubtless  In  the  hope 
that  both  England  and  America  still  contain  credu- 
lous dupes.  It  Is  to  be  hoped  that  their  former 
dupes  have  learned  the  lesson  that  the  Kaiser  does 
not  permit  them  to  denounce  any  of  the  thousand 
evils  which  adorned  Germany  In  peace  nor  the 
atrocities  which  have  disgraced  her  in  war. 

When  the  pastor  enters  the  Church  his  first  duty 
—  from  which  all  succeeding  duties  as  pastor  or 
citizen  depend  —  is  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance 
(Including  obedience)  to  his  King  and  the  State. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  67 

This  oath  If  observed,  and  it  must  be  observed,  is 
an  effectual  fetter  on  any  latent  reform  or  revolu- 
tionary tendencies.  Hence  he  is  seldom  a  "  voice 
crying  in  the  wilderness,"  and  still  more  rarely  Is  he 
anything  but  what  his  masters  expect  him  to  be  — 
an  obedient  member  of  the  great  system,  a  minion 
of  the  German  State.  From  the  State  he  receives 
his  daily  bread  as  well  as  his  "  call "  to  heavenly 
ministrations.  The  State  can  cut  off  the  former  and 
prevent  his  continuing  the  latter,  and  the  State  knows 
that  with  very  few  exceptions  the  Pfarrer  cannot  af- 
ford to  forgo  the  bread  which  It  doles  out  to  him. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  divinity  students  In 
German  Universities  are  already  under  considerable 
obligations  to  the  State;  many  have  received  as- 
sistance during  the  nine  years  spent  in  the  secondary 
school,  and  many  receive  financial  help  from  the  au- 
thorities during  the  university  period.  Unfortu- 
nately these  men  do  not  obtain  the  respect  from  their 
fellow  students  which  they  deserve,  while  divinity  as 
a  branch  of  knowledge  ^  Inspires  still  less  esteem. 

The  great  majority  of  divinity  students  come  from 
humble  families.  Divinity  Is  looked  upon  as  a 
Brodstiidium  (bread-study),  and  Its  disciples  com- 
mand the  minimum  of  respect  In  the  social  scale. 

2  Seventy  years  ago  Stj-auss  declared  Theology  to  be  a  production 
of  the  imagination  and  not  a  science  or  branch  of  human  knowl- 
edge. Many  German  professors  would  gladly  see  the  "  Faculties 
of  Theology"  swept  from  their  universities.  Not  a  few  of  the 
people  hold  similar  opinions. 


68  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Most  of  them  drink  the  prescribed  quantities  of 
beer,  some  fight  duels,  while  all  are  compelled  by 
circumstances  as  well  as  previous  training  to  work 
hard.  They  have  their  societies  {Verhindungen), 
give  dances  and  other  social  amusements,  but  young 
ladies  who  consider  themselves  somewhat  superior 
do  not  accept  invitations  to  these  affairs,  for  in  that 
case  their  names  would  be  struck  off  the  invitation 
lists  of  the  elite  circles  in  academic  life  —  the  duel- 
ling corps.  Altogether  the  divinity  student*s  posi- 
tion inclines  him  to  the  humbleness  of  Uriah  Heep, 
and  although  he  seems  happy  enough  —  he  is  young 
—  his  lot  is  not  quite  an  enviable  one  —  cramped  in 
his  means  of  sustenance,  diligently  engaged  in  the 
pursuit  of  learning,  tolerated  in  hesseren  Kreisen, 
servile  to  the  powers-that-be,  and  not  infrequently  a 
victim  to  one  of  the  supreme  passions  of  German 
character,  viz.,  the  love  of  humiliating  one's  fellow 
men.  Germans  are  invertebrates  in  the  presence  of 
superiors,  but  all  ahke  possess  the  lust  of  bullying  — 
die  Freude  jemand  zu  erniedrigen.  It  is  well  known 
that  members  of  the  duelling  corps  plan  excursions 
into  the  haunts  of  this  more  peaceably  inclined  sec- 
tion of  the  academic  community.  In  order  to  affront 
them  with  insults  or  even  blows.  This  sport  is  tol- 
erably cheap  and  safe,  for  most  divinity  students  are 
anti-duellists.  If  the  archives  of  the  *'  Committees 
for  Discipline  "  in  German  universities  were  made 
public  they  would  prove  that  hundreds  of  cases  of 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  69 

bullying  occur  annually.  The  Incorporated  students, 
adherents  of  the  duelling  cult,  cherish  a  supreme  con- 
tempt for  their  poorer  —  hence  weaker  —  comrades. 

One  case  will  suffice  to  show  how  the  authorities 
themselves  bow  down  before  these  supermen.  For- 
merly academic  festivities  were  celebrated  in  a 
common  assembly  to  which  all  professors  and  stu- 
dents were  invited,  e.g.,  the  Kaiser's  birthday.  But 
now  the  fighting  corps  refuse  to  appear  officially 
when  the  Christian  societies  are  present.  In  former 
years  an  annual  akademicshe  Kneipe  (academic  beer 
festival)  was  held  in  Erlangen  market-place,  but  it 
had  to  be  dropped  on  account  of  these  very  feuds. 
On  festive  occasions  the  Senate  is  compelled  to  exer- 
cise all  Its  diplomacy  in  placating  the  corps  and 
smoothing  out  the  differences  which  separate  the  two 
camps. 

After  some  five  or  six  years  the  future  pastor 
passes  his  examination  and  leaves  the  university  to 
enter  the  Church.  Needless  to  say,  he  Is  out  of 
touch  with  humanity  and  understandeth  not  the  prob- 
lems and  burning  questions  which  go  to  make  — 
life !  In  the  first  place  he  serves  the  State  and  sec- 
ondly his  God.^  The  result  Is  obvious  —  Germany 
is  full  of  empty  churches;  the  people  may,  or  may 
not,  call  for  bread,  but  It  Is  certain  they  get  only  a 
spiritual  stone.     Tolerated  at  the  university,  he  is 

3  The  missionary  who  tried  to  blow  up  a  British  ship  on  the 
West  Coast  of  Africa  said:  "First  I  am  a  German,  then  a 
Christian." 


70  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

seldom  more  than  tolerated  In  after  life,  and  In  the 
"  thoughts  that  move  mankind  "  as  well  as  In  the 
forming  of  public  opinion,  for  all  practical  purposes 
he  Is  a  negligible  quantity  —  he  Is  a  civil  servant. 

When  the  Kultus minister  pulls  the  strings  the 
figures  move  and  write  manifestoes  against  Eng- 
land's barbarism !  But  the  author  has  never  heard 
of  the  German  pulpit  being  employed  In  denuncia- 
tion of  the  crying  Injustice  caused  In  the  Fatherland 
by  militarism,  to  mention  only  one  of  many  evils 
which  might  well  serve  as  themes  for  ecclesiastical 
eloquence. 

The  present  writer  cannot  vouch  for  Its  truth,  but 
he  has  often  heard  It  quoted  as  one  of  Bismarck's 
sayings:  "  Religion  Is  only  meant  for  women  and 
children."  In  any  case  It  very  aptly  describes  Ger- 
many's conception  of  religion  when  put  Into  practice, 
and  the  composition  of  congregations  —  except  In 
Catholic  districts  —  confirms  this  opinion. 

Piety  Is  a  feeling  too  low  for  the  German  Intel- 
lect; it  is  a  mental  condition  which  arouses  pity  or 
contempt  in  him;  the  Englishman  going  to  church 
with  his  Bible  or  prayer-book  Is  known  to  millions 
of  Teutons  as  the  limit  In  either  stupidity  or  hy- 
pocrisy. Still,  If  you  ask  a  German  what  his  religion 
is,  he  will  in  most  cases  answer  either  Evangelisch 
or  Catholisch.  Indeed,  all  Germans,  young  and  old, 
have  a  religion,  that  Is  to  say  they  are  registered  at 
the  Town  Hall  as  being  Protestant,  Catholic  or  Jew, 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  71 

and  pay  a  yearly  tax  to  one  of  these  confessions.  In 
return  the  State  looks  after  their  religion  in  this  life 
and  presumably  In  that  which  Is  to  come.  Further- 
more, nobody  under  the  age  of  twenty-one  is  capable 
of  judging  for  himself;  whatever  his  parents  were 
registered  as  —  that  he  must  remain  till  he  is  of  age. 
Should  an  adult  become  a  convert  of  another  Church, 
e.g.,  a  Protestant  wish  to  enter  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  then  a  written  permit  must  be  obtained  from 
his  previous  pastor,  without  which  the  other  Church 
may  not  receive  him.  The  change  is  duly  notified  at 
the  Town  Hall. 

After  the  Reformation,  Protestants  and  Catholics 
In  Germany  amused  themselves  for  a  century  In 
virulent  abuse  and  recrimination,  which  from  1618 
till  1648  developed  Into  a  bloodthirsty  war.  The 
bitter  antagonism  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War  has 
never  been  extinguished;  even  to-day  the  work  of 
Christ's  Church  Is  effectually  paralysed  there  by 
strife  —  both  theological  and  political.  Employers 
advertise  In  all  cases  for  employees  of  their  own 
faith;  the  purchasing  public  will  not  buy  at  this  or 
that  shop  because  the  proprietor  Is  a  Jew  or  Catholic, 
and  so  on  ad  nauseam. 

But  perhaps  the  most  forcible  Indictment  of  Ger- 
many's national  religion  Is  the  fact  that  her  ancient 
churches  and  cathedrals  are  renovated,  and  her  new 
ones  built,  with  money  gained  by  State  lotteries. 
The    windows    of    officially    recognized    "  Lottery 


72  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Shops  "  always  contain  tickets  for  the  building  or 
renovating  of  churches.  The  method  is  briefly  this. 
Should  a  hew  district  require  a  church,  the  local 
Church  Council  applies  to  the  Kultus minister  for 
permission  to  hold  a  lottery.  If  there  are  not  too 
many  lotteries  running,  permission  is  granted,  or  it 
may  be  deferred  for  a  time  till  the  competition  be- 
tween the  various  charities  is  favourable  to  a  new 
venture.  Then  about  two  hundred  thousand  tick- 
ets are  printed,  stating  the  object  in  view  and  mostly 
giving  a  view  of  the  church  to  be  benefited.  The 
tickets  are  next  circulated  among  lottery  dealers,  who 
retail  them  to  the  public  at  the  price  printed  on  the 
front  —  generally  three  shillings  and  threepence. 
The  odd  threepence  is  a  tax  for  the  benefit  of  the 
State. 

About  one  ticket  in  twenty-five  can  win  a  prize. 
Prizes  in  cash  vary  from  £3-,  500  down  to  a  crown, 
but  in  most  lotteries  there  are  only  about  ten  prizes 
of  a  higher  value  than  £50.  On  an  average  only 
4  per  cent,  of  the  tickets  win  prizes  at  all ;  the  great 
majority  of  these  have  only  a  value  of  5s.  and  los^ 
hence  the  big  prize  is  the  decoy  bird.  Lotteries  are 
organized  betting;  the  chances  are  roughly  100  to 
4  that  a  bet  of  3s.  3d.  may  win  a  5s.  or  los.  prize, 
representing  a  net  gain  of  roughly  2s.  or  7s.,  while 
the  odds  are  200,000  to  i  against  the  gambler  gain- 
ing the  £3,500  prize.  To  Englishmen  it  would  thus 
seem  that  German  churches  have  become  bookmak- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  73 

ers  on  a  large  scale.  The  ethics  of  such  a  system 
may  be  left  to  the  personal  opinion  of  individual 
readers;  the  author  only  desires  to  state  that  this 
appeal  to  the  lowest  human  instinct  has  not  secured 
the  Church  in  the  hearts  or  imaginations  of  the  Ger- 
man people.  Among  the  poor,  gambling  in  lottery 
tickets  has  become  universal,  although  there  are  in 
all  probability  no  great  social  evils  resulting  from  It. 
The  point  to  be  emphasized  here,  however.  Is  that 
German  churches  are  built  and  renovated  by  whole- 
sale gambling  with  "  the  man  In  the  street,"  and  this 
is  valuable  evidence  of  the  extent  to  which  material- 
ism has  blunted  the  national  idealism,  when  religion, 
whose  greatest  good  has  ever  been  achieved  by  arous- 
ing the  imagination,  struts  In  the  loud  check-suit  of 
I  the  bookmaker.     It  Is  further  of  interest  to  note  that 

''  the  man  In  the  street "  rarely  troubles  himself  to 
inspect  the  *'  House  of  God  "  which  his  little  bet  has 
helped  to  build. 

Religion  occupies  no  unimportant  place  In  German 
school  life.  There  are  clergymen  attached  to  every 
inspecting  authority  for  elementary  schools,  a  state 
of  things  generally  condemned  by  the  teachers.  In 
all  higher  schools  religious  knowledge  Is  imparted 
by  clergymen  (Pfarrer)  specially  appointed  for  this 
duty.  A  certain  amount  of  latitude  has  been  per- 
mitted to  parents  in  deciding  whether  their  children 
should  receive  religious  Instruction  or  not.  This 
freedom  Is  very  essentially  curtailed,  however,  by 


74!  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

other  existing  conditions.  In  the  final  examination 
which  admits  a  youth  to  the  university,  divinity  is  a 
compulsory  subject;  no  candidate  for  any  branch  of 
the  civil  service  could  hope  for  admission  if  he  were 
not  a  member  of  some  recognized  Church  —  the 
Jewish  faith  being  the  least  welcome.  Last  year  the 
Bavarian  Government  went  a  step  further  in  declar- 
ing that  no  boy  or  girl  could  be  admitted  to  a  State 
school  without  participating  in  some  form  of  reli- 
gious instruction  recognized  by  the  Board  for 
Church  and  School  Affairs. 

There  is  indeed  no  lack  of  evidence  to  show  that 
the  ecclesiastical  authorities  recognize  that  the 
Church  has  lost  its  hold  upon  the  nation  in  general, 
and  are  redoubling  their  efforts  to  influence  the 
young  during  their  school  days.*  But  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  these  bureaucratic  endeavours  will 
succeed  in  winning  the  nation  back  to  its  allegiance 
to  God.  The  two  religious  camps  —  Roman  Cath- 
olic and  Lutheran  —  are  still  engaged  in  bitter  hos- 
tilities against  each  other,  and  in  mutual  aggression 
against  other  faiths  —  the  school  is  only  one  more 
battlefield  for  them.^ 

Another  national  force  has  to  be  reckoned  with 

*  Fritz  Berolzhelmer  writes  in  his  "Moral  und  Gesellschaft ": 
"  In  all  classes  the  adult  population  is  quite  indifferent  to  religion." 

5  At  the  commencement  of  the  school-year  the  educational  au- 
thorities publish  statistics  in  every  district  regarding  the  religion 
of  all  children  who  have  just  entered  the  schools.  There  is  con- 
siderable zeal  among  the  priesthood  of  each  Church  to  swell  the 
number  which  represent  their  particular  faith. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  76 

In  religious  matters: — the  Social  Democratic  Party. 
Numerically  this  is  the  strongest  party  In  the  Im- 
perial Parliament.  During  the  last  decade  certain 
Englishmen,  Including  Messrs.  Keir  Hardle  and 
Ramsay  Macdonald,  have  endeavoured  to  raise  Eng- 
lish hopes  of  peace  by  promises  of  what  this  party 
could  and  would  do  to  prevent  war.  These  gentle- 
men were  no  doubt  honest  In  their  convictions,  but 
events  have  shown  that  their  convictions  were  based 
upon  Ignorance  of  Germany  and  the  German  people. 
A  most  elementary  knowledge  of  German  conditions 
and  character  would  have  sufficed  to  convince  any 
man  of  average  Intelligence  that  the  Social  Demo- 
crats have  no  power  In  Germany  —  In  spite  of 
4,250,000  votes;  further,  that  hatred  and  suspicion 
of  England  Is  just  as  wide-spread  among  German 
Social  Democracy  as  any  other  section  of  the  Ger- 
man nation.  Their  battle  against  autocracy  as  well 
as  their  endeavours  to  improve  the  lot  of  the  work- 
ing classes  are  objects  for  which  we  may  rightly  feel 
sincere  sympathy,  but  their  avowed  hostility  to  reli- 
gion and  the  moral  laws  which  hold  the  community 
together  arouse  our  bitterest  antagonism.  It  is  an 
error  to  Imagine  that  the  ideals  pursued  by  Christian 
Socialists  are  Identical  with  those  of  the  German 
Social  Democrats;  In  regard  to  religion  and  moral- 
ity they  are  diametrically  opposite.  Their  official 
organs  not  infrequently  contain  articles  bordering 
upon    the    blasphemous.     Critical    comment    upon 


76  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Christianity  is  permitted  even  in  Germany,  but  Social 
Democratic  papers  are  seldom  critical  when  dealing 
with  religion;  on  the  other  hand  they  are  frankly 
scornful  and  abusive. 

Just  as  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  are  endeavour- 
ing to  get  hold  of  Germany's  youth  in  the  schools, 
the  Social  Democratic  party  is  trying  to  nullify  the 
religious  teaching  imparted  in  the  schools  by  giving 
anti-religious  instruction  in  classes  specially  arranged 
for  that  purpose.  To  further  this  work  a  special 
literature  for  the  young,  including  a  catechism,  has 
been  written  and  diligently  circulated  among  the 
children  of  the  working  classes.  Its  tendency  is  to 
arouse  feelings  of  revolt  against  their  condition  in 
life  and  the  Great  Ruler  of  the  world  who  permits 
these  conditions.  But  the  whole  tone  is  such  that  the 
young  mind  has  no  difficulty  in  drawing  the  conclu- 
sion that  there  is  no  God  —  or  these  things  would 
not  be. 

The  action  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  may  be 
cited  as  evidence  that  that  body  is  fully  alive  to  the 
atheistic  tendencies  of  German  Social  Democracy. 
Not  only  in  Parliament  and  in  the  Press  and  on  the 
political  platform,  but  also  in  economic  questions  the 
Catholic  Church  has  declared  war  to  the  knife 
against  this  movement.  In  order  to  keep  members 
of  that  Church  from  any  kind  of  contact  with 
this  party  she  has  organized  special  trade  unions 
for  Catholics.     These  Katholische  Arheiterverhdnde 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  77 

have  in  some  districts  —  particularly  Westphalia  — 
a  large  and  Increasing  membership.  In  striving  for 
greater  political  freedom  and  better  conditions  of 
life  for  the  working  classes  the  two  camps  are  one, 
but  In  respect  to  their  estimation  of  religion  and 
morality  they  are  bitterly  hostile. 

Until  a  few  years  ago  the  National  Liberals  were 
looked  upon  as  Germany's  hope;  they  are  now 
known  as  the  "  Invertebrates."  Their  alliance,  for 
political  ends,  with  the  Social  Democrats  was  one  of 
the  reasons  which  led  to  their  downfall  at  the  last 
election.  Sane  people  who  still  cherished  religious 
principles,  left  a  party  which  could  ally  Itself  In  any 
shape  or  form  with  the  advocates  of  atheism. 
Among  those  who  refused  to  betray  their  religious 
convictions  by  a  political  alliance  was  Professor 
Geiger,  leader  of  the  Bavarian  National  Liberals. 
This  gentleman  assured  the  writer  that  he  could  not 
conscientiously  connect  himself  In  any  way  with  a 
party  whose  avowed  aims  were  social  and  religious 
disruption,  consequently  he  resigned  the  party  leader- 
ship. 

Yet  the  Social  Democratic  Party  represents  only 
too  truly  all  that  Germany  possesses  of  religion,  viz., 
materialism.  Among  the  higher  classes  it  Is  philo- 
sophic materialism ;  in  the  less-favoured  strata  of  the 
community  Its  practical  interpretation  —  It  is  only 
this  world's  goods  which  count. 

The  educated  German  despises  religion,  but  the 


78  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

working  classes  are  learning  to  hate  it,  if  for  no 
other  reason  than  that  it  is  a  State  religion,  ergo  — 
an  essential  part  of  the  great  tyranny  which  con- 
demns them  to  civilized  servitude. 

In  order  to  give  more  weight  to  the  foregoing 
statements  concerning  the  Social  Democratic  Party, 
the  writer  proposes  to  cite  a  few  German  authorities. 
A  booklet^  appeared  in  Germany  twenty-five  years 
ago,  its  purpose  being  to  refute  the  programme  of 
the  above  party  as  laid  down  at  their  Congress  in 
Halle.  Hundhausen,  its  author,  draws  especial  at- 
tention to  the  party's  teachings  in  regard  to  the 
family  and  marriage. 

The  Social  Democrats  object  to  marriage  for  sev- 
eral reasons.  Firstly,  it  is  only  an  historical  institu- 
tion, and  can  only  be  maintained  in  modern  life  by 
widespread  prostitution.  Secondly,  it  is  an  im- 
proper interference  on  the  part  of  the  State  in  the 
most  intimate  affairs  of  the  individual.  Thirdly, 
marriage  is  a  hindrance  to  the  realization  of  their 
Utopian  State,  in  which  the  conditions  will  make 
marriage  entirely  superfluous.  Hundhausen  quotes 
two  writers,  including  Herr  Bebel,  the  late  leader  of 
the  Social  Democrats.  Bebel  wrote :  "  The  grati- 
fication of  sexual  desire  is  purely  a  personal  matter, 
just  as  much  as  the  gratification  of  every  other  natu- 
ral appetite.''     The  second  writer  maintained  that 

«*Warum  wir  nicht  Social  Demokraten  sind "    ("Why  we  are 
not  Social  Democrats"),  by  Theodor  Hundhausen. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  79 

"  modern  consciousness  and  modern  life  make  free 
love  absolutely  necessary." 

Herr  Marx,  the  greatest  thinker  which  the  party 
has  produced,  founded  the  above  teachings,"^  in  fact, 
none  of  the  party  have  ever  expressed  themselves 
otherwise,  therefore  we  must  accept  this  antl-mar- 
rlage,  anti-moral  doctrine  as  part  of  their  official 
programme. 

At  the  Halle  Congress  another  leader  of  the  party 
declared :  "  Social  Democracy  fights  against  every 
religion  and  every  faith."  These  were  the  words  of 
Herr  Llebknecht,  member  of  the  Reichstag  for  a 
Berlin  constituency. 

Rebel  expressed  himself  in  a  still  more  drastic 
form :  "  Social  Democracy  is  not  only  an  enemy 
{Gegnerin)  of  dogmatic  faith,  but  we  strive  on  prin- 
ciple to  destroy  the  need  for  religion  in  mankind." 
Bebel  begs  the  whole  question  in  this  sentence,  for 
he  has  previously  accorded  licence  in  the  gratification 
of  natural  (animal)  appetites,  but  proposes  to  root 
out  every  spiritual  desire,  although  that  is  surely  as 
much  a  natural  longing  as  those  which  he  permits. 

Professor  Diehl  treats  at  considerable  length  the 
attitude  of  Social  Democracy  to  religion.  His  care- 
fully compiled  synopsis  of  the  party's  doctrine  con- 

7  An  excellent  work  on  German  Social  Democracy  is  Professor 
Karl  Diehl's  university  lectures  delivered  in  Freiburg  University. 
The  work  is  entitled:  "  Socialismus,  Komraunismus  und  Anarchis- 
mus."     Vide  p.  163  for  Marx'  teaching  on  marriage. 


80  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

eludes:  **  For  Marx  and  his  followers  religion  is 
the  hostile  power  against  which  they  must  fight. 
New  conditions  will  arise  In  the  world  and  religion 
win  disappear  of  Itself;  yet  the  party  leaders  recog- 
nize the  widespread  religious  feeling  among  the 
masses.  Therefore  atheism  Is  not  made  a  condition 
of  membership.  Article  six  of  the  Social  Demo- 
cratic programme  only  pledges  the  member  to  de- 
clare religion  to  be  a  private  and  personal  matter." 
DIehl  considers  this  a  mere  tactical  dodge  to  enable 
the  lukewarm  to  join  the  ranks  of  the  Genossen 
(brothers  or  comrades) . 

A  very  frequently  discussed  question  In  Germany 
during  recent  years  has  been:  "  Can  a  Christian  be 
a  Social  Democrat?"  Professor  DIehl  discusses  it 
from  his  point  of  view  as  a  Professor  of  Philosophy, 
and  shows  very  conclusively  that  a  man  who  accepts 
the  fundamental  Idea  of  German  Social  Democracy 
cannot  be  at  the  same  time  a  Christian.  A  conclu- 
sion In  which  the  present  writer  unreservedly  concurs. 

A  few  further  data  will  help  to  define  the  power 
of  the  movement.  In  1871,  124,700  Social  Demo- 
cratic votes  were  recorded;  at  the  Reichstag  elec- 
tion in  19 1 2  this  number  rose  to  over  4^  millions. 
The  other  Important  parties  recorded,  National 
Liberals,  1,662,000;  Roman  Catholics  (Centrum), 
1,996,000;  Conservatives  (Junker),  1,126,000; 
Popular  Progressives  (Including  several  parties), 
1,497,000  votes.     From  which  it  will  be  seen  that 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  81 

the  Social  Democrats  had  more  than  twice  as  many 
votes  as  the  Roman  Catholic  party.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  if  a  just  re-distribution  of  seats  were  in- 
troduced, the  number  of  members  representing  Social 
Democracy  in  the  Reichstag  would  increase  very  con- 
siderably. An  American  author  writes ;  ^  "  I  know 
nothing  like  German  Socialism  in  the  politics  of  other 
countries.  The  organization  Is  quite  extraordi- 
nary." 

The  parents  of  to-day  do  not  hope  to  realize 
their  ideals,  but  they  neglect  nothing  which  may 
make  It  possible  for  their  children  to  attain  them. 
The  party  possesses  no  fewer  than  200  central  cir- 
culating libraries,  with  77  branches.  By  these  means 
several  million  homes  are  provided  with  literature, 
specially  written  to  counteract  religious  teaching  and 
Inculcate  Social  Democratic  dogmas.  Even  the 
Kaiser's  doctrine  of  "  divine  right "  has  not  been 
overlooked;  cleverly  written  works  —  carefully 
worded,  so  as  to  escape  prosecution  for  lese-majeste 
—  are  In  circulation  for  readers  young  and  old. 

In  addition  to  the  permanent  literature  there  are 
seventy-six  daily  papers  and  several  illustrated  peri- 
odicals assisting  the  work,  while  some  fifty  publishing 
houses  are  owned  by  members  of  the  party. 

The  returns  for  19 12  show  that  836,741  men  and 
I30j37i  women  were  enrolled  in  the  party  register, 

8  "  Monarchical  Socialism  in  Germany,"  by  Elmer  Roberts,  Lon- 
don, 1913. 


8a  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

i.e.,  as  active  members  for  politcal  purposes.  The 
women's  Social  Democratic  journal  die  Gleichheif 
(Equality)  had  107,000  subscribers  on  its  books. 

Truly,  no  mean  power!  And  this  weapon  has 
been  wielded  against  the  forces  of  religion  and  mo- 
rality, and  has  achieved  much  —  for  the  German 
workman  of  our  time  has  no  reverence  for  either 
spiritual  or  earthly  authority.  He  renders  unwill- 
ing obedience  to  the  latter,  however,  for  earthly 
authority  does  not  bear  the  sword  in  vain.  Against 
autocracy  and  German  militarism.  Social  Democracy 
has  also  waged  war,  but  achieved  nothing  I  When 
the  autocracy  has  Increased  its  demands  for  arma- 
ments, then  Singer,  Liebknecht,  Siidekum  and  Co. 
have  on  every  occasion  made  a  great  noise  in  the 
Reichstag.  They  have  written  columns  of  useless 
vituperation  (paid  at  a  good  rate  from  party  funds)  ; 
they  have  held  mass  meetings  of  the  Genossen  in  all 
parts  of  Germany  (thereby  increasing  their  own  In- 
comes by  lecturing  fees  and  expenses),  and,  lastly, 
when  the  vote  has  been  put,  they  have  ignominiously 
deserted  their  Ideals  of  International  peace  by  join- 
ing the  "  ayes  "  or  abstaining  from  voting  altogether. 
In  either  case  the  explanation  given  Is  the  same  — 
tactical  reasons. 

Let  us  take  one  Instance  only.  In  19 13,  when  It 
was  proposed  to  vote  a  "  special  contribution  "  of 
fifty  million  pounds  to  Increase  the  army,  we  wit- 
nessed the  same   spectacular  agitation  throughout 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  83 

Germany,  a  movement  which  must  have  caused  very 
considerable  funds  to  flow  into  the  pockets  of  the 
paid  Social  Democratic  agitators.  Then  the  debacle 
In  Berlin,  when  the  party  agreed  to  support  the  vote 
on  condition  that  the  richer  classes  supplied  the  neces- 
sary millions. 

Surely  this  was  no  war  against  armaments  on 
principle,  but  it  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the  methods 
of  that  party  which  Messrs.  Keir  Hardie  and  Ram- 
say Macdonald  are  still  asking  the  British  public 
to  look  to  —  even  since  the  war  began  I  These  gen- 
tlemen are  welcome  to  lean  on  a  *'  broken  reed '' 
if  it  gives  them  pleasure,  but  England  will  be  well 
advised  to  rely  upon  her  own  strong  arm  rather 
than  expect  help  from  the  German  Social  Democrats, 
who  have  failed  to  produce  any  good  thing  among 
their  own  people. 

Before  leaving  this  question  It  is  necessary  to  add 
that  among  educated  Germans,  Social  Democracy 
IS  in  bad  odour,  even  among  Liberals  and  Radicals. 
Many  of  the  reasons  for  this  have  been  cited,  but 
one  other  is  the  assertion  that  the  party  leaders  and 
writers  are,  with  few  exceptions,  Jews.  In  other 
sections  of  the  community  they  are  designated 
"  Jewish  parasites,"  and  their  chief  aim  is  said  to  be 
not  revolution,  but  private  profit.  Their  names,  e.g., 
Marx,  Luxembourg,  etc.,  certainly  go  to  prove  their 
Hebrew  origin;  their  motives  may  be  left  to  the 
judgment  of  their  contemporaries. 


84  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

"  Those  who  desire  to  get  a  true  insight  into 
the  danger  which  Social  Democracy  means  for  the 
Empire,  must  be  quite  clear  on  this  point,  that  the 
wholesale  poisoning  of  German  voters  would  have 
been  utterly  impossible  without  the  help  of  the  Jews. 
They  are  the  real  leaders  of  the  movement  and  those 
upon  whom  the  hopes  for  social  destruction  rest, 
belong  also  to  this  people."  ^ 

The  spread  of  Social  Democratic  teachings  in 
Germany  has  only  tended  to  Increase  class-hatred, 
envy  and  Irrehgion,  and  up  to  the  present  the  Genos- 
sen  have  displayed  no  vestige  of  the  brotherly  feel- 
ings which  they  preach,  towards  the  man  who  hap- 
pens to  wear  a  better  coat. 

Nuremberg  and  Fiirth  are  great  industrial  centres, 
employing  many  thousands  of  workmen,  many  of 
whom  live  in  the  surrounding  villages,  even  so  far 
afield  as  Erlangen,  which  Is  twelve  miles  distant 
from  Nuremberg.  Anyone  travelling  by  the  6.17 
p.m.  train  from  Nuremberg  to  Erlangen  during  peace 
times  had  a  splendid  opportunity  of  observing  several 
hundred  Sozis  (German  nickname ).^^  The  train  is 
always  overcrowded  and  any  attempt  to  ventilate 
meets  with  violent  abuse.  Language,  .conversation 
and  manners  Illustrate  In  a  forcible  manner  the  gen- 

®  Daniel  Freymann's  book:  "  Wenn  ich  der  Kaiser  ware" 
("If  I  were  Kaiser"),  p.  42. 

10  It  is  a  punishable  offence  to  call  any  man  a  Sozi,  even  if  he  is 
a  Social  Democrat. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  86 

eral  brute  level  of  Germany's  lower  classes.  It  is 
a  convenient  train  for  ladles  to  return  by  after  a 
day's  shopping  In  the  larger  city.  Woe  betide  a 
lady  if  she  is  Isolated  among  some  fifty  of  the 
"  brothers."  Vile  obscenities  and  filthy  songs  are 
bandied  about  until  she  changes  into  another  car- 
riage. 

The  writer  has  travelled  by  this  train  on  hundreds 
of  occasions  and  often  witnessed  such  scenes  —  treat- 
ment to  which  his  own  wife  has  been  subjected.  A 
gentleman  is  only  '*  talked  at,"  especially  so  if  he  Is 
suspected  of  being  connected  with  Erlangen  Uni- 
versity. 

Herr  Siidekum,  the  Social  Democratic  member  for 
Nuremberg,  has  never  been  known  to  read  his  con- 
stituents a  lesson  on  decent  behaviour;  while  the 
party  newspapers  give  more  than  a  veiled  encourage- 
ment to  this  kind  of  "  brotherly  "  {genossen-schaft- 
liche)  molestation.  All  In  all,  the  beautiful  theories 
propagated  by  the  Social  Democrats  seem  to  have 
fallen  by  the  wayside. 

Germany,  however,  deserves  the  pity  of  all  those 
who  still  believe  that  Christianity  Is  the  greatest 
civilizing  force  of  which  this  world  can  boast,  for 
Germany's  Christian  Church  Is  merely  a  civil-service 
•department,  commanding  no  one's  reverence.  The 
upper  classes  are  Intellectual  materialists,  and  the 
lower  ranks  the  victims  of  Germany's  new  religion 
—  Social  Democracy. 


CHAPTER  V 

NATIONAL   CHARACTER  AND   IDEALS 

PERHAPS  the  most  disagreeable  surprise  which 
the  year  of  fate,  19 14,  prepared  for  the  world, 
was  the  unmasking  of  German  character  —  she  her- 
self threw  away  the  mask  and  displayed  to  the  world 
quite  another  heart  to  that  with  which  she  had  been 
credited.  Like  lago,  the  military  dictator  of  Eu- 
rope had  not  "  carried  his  heart  on  his  sleeve  for 
daws  to  peck  at." 

In  German  schools  and  universities  we  have  dis- 
covered other  aims  and  ideals  than  those  associated 
with  the  homes  of  English  culture;  equally  different 
too  Is  the  ideal  of  character  which  is  the  basis  of 
German  national  existence. 

Only  a  little  more  than  a  century  ago  serfdom  was 
abolished  among  Teutons,  while  the  degrading  lex 
prima  noctis  survived  up  till  1848.  Slavery  Is  ac- 
knowledged to  be  a  condition  Inimical  to  growth  of 
character,  and  the  German  nation  is  still  too  young 
to  have  thrown  off  its  cramping  Influence.  Added 
to  this,  a  powerful  autocratic  government  has  been 
able  to  subject  individual  rights  to  Its  purposes,  or 
rather  to  prevent  those  rights  from  coming  into  be- 
ing. 

86 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  87 

The  forces  dominating  the  individual's  behaviour 
and  modes  of  life  have  operated  almost  entirely  from 
outside  him,  restraining  and  compelling  him  Into  a 
mould  preconceived  by  a  higher  will  —  the  will  of 
the  State.  In  some  walks  of  life  he  has  been  per- 
mitted extraordinary  latitude,  probably  as  a  solace 
for  curtailment  in  others,  but  the  incontrovertible 
fact  remains  that  he  has  never  been  allowed  to  be- 
come much  other  than  what  serves  the  State's  pur- 
pose. 

This  historical  development  accounts  for  the  readi- 
ness with  which  the  German  adapts  himself  to  the 
severest  military  discipline  of  modern  times,  for  his 
uncomplaining  surrender  of  a  jewel  which  was  never 
his  —  personal  liberty. 

Germans  delight  to  talk  of  their  Weltanschauung^ 
or  world-view  of  life,  i.e.y  the  Indivlduars  relation 
to  the  universe,  more  particularly,  of  course,  to  the 
defined  part  of  It  to  which  he  belongs.  This  con- 
ception directs  his  outward  bearing  towards  the 
phenomena  designated  as  the  world  of  sense,  and 
regulates  his  feeling  of  responsibility.  Teutonic 
responsibility  Is  almost  entirely  restricted  to  those 
concrete  duties  demanded  of  him  by  the  State,  which 
leaves  him  extensive  freedom  with  regard  to  ethical 
responsibility  towards  his  fellow  men  and  the  en- 
tirety of  humanity. 

In  this  system  educative  forces  of  incalculable 
worth  have  been  prevented  from  exercising  their 


88  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

powers,  in  the  first  place  upon  individual,  and  ulti- 
mately upon  national  character.  In  a  word,  this 
means  blind  obedience  to  the  dictates  of  the  State, 
but  licence  in  regard  to  his  moral  obligations  to  God 
and  man.  As  a  result,  unquestioning  obedience  in 
"  rendering  unto  Caesar  the  things  which  are 
Cassar's  "  has  become  the  most  characteristic  trait  in 
Teutonic  character;  an  ideal  above  which  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  masses  Is  quite  incapable  of  raising  them. 
For  them  the  fulfilment  of  these  duties  means  sal- 
vation in  this  world  and  the  next. 

No  great  nation  is  free  from  moral  obliquity;  in 
every  community  there  are  units  which  fall  under  the 
head  "  criminal  classes,"  and  to  judge  the  whole  by 
these  would  lead  to  mere  error.  A  stranger  who  had 
only  come  in  contact  with  the  worst  elements  of  East 
and  West  London  would  err  if  he  based  his  esti- 
mate of  English  character  upon  these  data. 

National  character  Is  a  rough  average  of  all  the 
individual  characters  which  make  up  the  nation,  and 
In  order  to  strike  this  average  their  daily  acts  in  the 
counting-house,  street  and  home  must  be  observed. 
Attention  must  be  paid  to  those  deeds  which  receive 
condemnation  or  praise  from  the  largest  number  of 
citizens.  In  the  process  of  time  an  image  Is  formed 
in  the  observer's  mind  representing  the  standard  of 
right  and  wrong  which  regulates  the  doings  between 
these  men.  It  Is  the  observer's  opinion  of  their 
national  character — and  it  may  be  entirely  wrong! 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  89 

Nevertheless,  for  practical  purposes  it  is  necessary 
to  accept  the  results  of  these  methods,  and  then  it  is 
advisable  to  average  the  averages,  for  the  divergence 
is  often  such  that  they  form  contrasts.  Some  years 
back  the  Anglican  Bishop  of  Northern  Europe,  in 
a  letter  to  the  Daily  Mail,  expressed  the  opinion 
that  "  the  German  is  the  finest  gentleman  in  the 
world."  This  divine  took  the  '*  gentleman  " —  prob- 
ably the  English  variety  —  as  his  standard,  and 
found  in  his  investigations  that  the  Teuton  is  a 
*'  perfect  gentleman." 

The  author  has  applied  the  same  test,  although 
his  conception  of  this  ideal  may  be  imperfect,  and 
the  absolute  idea  of  a  gentleman  may  be  ethically 
and  philosophically  wrong  in  itself,  i.e,,  a  wrong 
standard  upon  which  to  model  our  daily  life.  Yet 
even  with  these  limitations  the  writer's  observations 
led  him  to  form  an  opinion  contrary  to  the  learned 
Bishop's.  Moreover,  he  is  convinced  that  Germans, 
with  few  exceptions,  do  not  look  up  to  either  the 
"  gentleman  "  or  the  "  lady  "  as  ideals  to  strive  after 
in  this  life;  they  do  not  accept  these  types  in  their 
highest  moral  conception  as  models  whose  virtues 
individuals  should  seek  to  emulate. 

It  is  true,  that  in  exteriors,  they  have  slavishly 
imitated  our  "  gentleman  " —  even  to  a  degree  of 
crude  exaggeration  —  his  dress  and  style,  the  clicking 
of  heels  and  ceremonious  bows,  the  raising  of  hats 
and  kissing  of  hands ;  even  the  word  "  gentleman  " 


90  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

has  been  added  to  the  German  language.  But  the 
gentleman  whose  "  conscience  is  his  king,"  who  rec- 
ognizes the  moral,  non-compulsory  obligations  of 
life  as  equally  binding  as  the  written  word,  who  regu- 
lates his  life  on  some  standard  of  duty  towards  God 
and  his  fellow  men;  this  ideal  of  individual  conduct 
is  irreconcilable  to  the  Germanic  State.  That  Mol- 
och would  be  inconceivable,  were  it  composed  of 
such  units. 

Private  right  and  conscience  must  be  sacrificed  in 
absolute  submission  to  the  State's  might;  in  return 
the  individual  receives  an  "  indulgence  "  covering  a 
multitude  of  sins  in  matters  not  touching  the  State's 
almighty  will. 

Hence  the  ideal  of  indivdual  character  accepted 
by  Germans  is  seen  to  be  something  quite  other  than 
that  known  to  us  as  a  "  gentleman.'' 

German  national  character  is,  in  fact,  a  native 
growth,  an  ideal  resulting  from  other  conditions,  and 
influenced  by  another  sequence  of  historical  events. 

The  place  of  conscience  is  taken  by  what  a  German 
terms  Ehrgefiihl  (feeling  of  honour).  In  the 
prosaic  language  of  common  sense  this  may  be 
classed  as  morbid  egoism  or  diseased  vanity.  The 
German  must  be  accepted  at  his  own  valuation  or  he 
is  insulted. 

The  ease  with  which  a  German  may  be  offended 
is  instructive  for  our  purpose.  It  is  an  Insult  to 
accord  him  more  than  a  passing  glance;  looking  at 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  91 

a  man  too  fixedly  in  a  restaurant  or  any  public 
haunt  may  involve  the  starer  in  a  duel.  Student-bul- 
lies lusting  for  combat  adopt  this  method  of  pro- 
voking a  fight;  possibly  because  it  is  the  quickest  way 
to  hostilities.  He  calls  the  process  fixieren  (fixing 
a  man  with  your  eyes),  and  the  aggrieved  party  will 
soon  demand  an  explanation  for  this  Verletzung 
seines  Ehrengefiihls  (wounding  his  honour).  An 
exchange  of  cards,  or  an  invitation  to  go  outside  to 
have  his  ears  boxed,  will  follow,  then  the  "  affair  of 
honour."  Public  opinion  will  applaud  both  as  cour- 
ageous men  of  honour,  but  just  as  unanimously  con- 
demn —  even  ostracize  —  the  coward  who  appeals 
to  a  court  of  law  for  protection.^ 

In  Germany  insults  may  be  compared  (in  the 
grammatical  sense),  like  adjectives.  The  bad, 
worse,  worst  of  insults  is:  a  look,  a  word,  a  blow; 
an  interpretation  confirmed  by  the  German  penal 
code.  Calling  a  man  a  "  fool  "  or  *'  donkey  "  ^  may 
lead  to  a  severe  fine,  for  the  German  code  pos- 
sesses a  law  of  insult  in  addition  to  a  law  of  libel. 
In  every  legal  district  judges,  magistrates  and  law- 
yers waste  innumerable  hours  in  settling  such  cases, 
some  of  which  appear  in  the  press  —  fortunately 
only  a  small  percentage ;  still,  sufficient  to  show  that 

II  remember  reading  in  the  Augsburg  papers  of  a  man  being 
heavily  fined  for  staring  at  an  enemy  every  time  he  met  him. 

2iV.  B. —  In  the  presence  of  a  third  person  who  is  prepared  to 
affirm  on  oath. 


92 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 


German  character  is  morbidly  sensitive  and  actively- 
quarrelsome. 

The  judicial  statistics  of  the  German  Empire,  pub- 
lished by  the  Imperial  Statistics  Office  in  Berlin, 
amply  confirm  the  quarrelsomeness  of  Germans. 
The  figures  for  insult  cases  are : 


Year. 

Persons  charged. 

Number  sentenced. 

1907 

83.013 

60,895 

1908 

82,011 

59,830 

1909 

'  82,827 

59,673 

I9IO 

84,058 

60,344 

I91I 

86,573 

61,899 

For   insulting   and   threatening 

officials,    not 

eluded  in 

the  above  figures : 

• 

Year. 

Persons  charged. 

Number  sentenced. 

1907 

35,226 

27,418 

1908 

34,453 

26,803 

1909 

32,999 

25,677 

I9IO 

31,775 

24,668 

I9II 

30,466 

23,745 

m- 


The  following  true  story  will  show  how  easy  it 
IS  to  insult  the  tender  feelings  of  an  official.  Some 
years  ago  an  English  gentleman  resident  in  Nurem- 
berg was  absent  from  the  town  when  the  rates  and 
taxes  were  collected.  On  his  return  he  learned  that 
the  usual  fines  had  been  added  as  a  punishment  for 
his  remissness.  He  visited  the  Tax-Collector,  to 
protest  against  this  treatment.  The  official  in- 
formed him  that  he  ought  to  have  given  his  landlady 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  93 

power  of  attorney  before  going  on  a  holiday,  then 
she  could  have  acted  for  him.  In  the  discussion  the 
Englishman  exclaimed :  "  Das  ist  ein  Unsinn !  " 
("  That's  nonsense !  ")  whereupon  he  was  threatened 
with  an  action  for  Beamtenheleidigung  (insult  to 
officialdom).  Knowing  that  such  an  action  would 
certainly  lead  to  a  heavy  fine,  perhaps  imprisonment, 
he  settled  the  matter  by  apologizing.  Finally  the 
Tax-Collector  deigned  to  accept  the  apology,  and  his 
"  honour  "  was  restored  to  its  pristine  brightness. 

In  spite  of  the  elegant  outward  etiquette  which 
distinguishes  the  upper  classes  of  Germany,  there  Is 
beneath  these  exteriors  a  striking  lack  of  real  con- 
sideration for  the  rights  and  comfoDts  of  others. 
The  German  mind  seems  singularly  incapable  of  look- 
ing at  things  from  the  other  man's  point  of  view, 
consequently  true  sympathy  Is  a  feeling  which  he 
hardly  knows. 

On  the  other  hand  Liehens'mirdigkeit  (kindness) 
and  its  corresponding  adjectives  are  words  freely  In- 
terspersed In  conversation,  but  their  Interpretation 
In  actual  life  Is  mostly  limited  to  exaggerated  forms 
of  superficial  politeness,  which  are  seldom  an  index 
of  the  heart's  motives. 

Casual  tourists  in  the  Fatherland  have  received 
these  "  outward  shows  "  as  true  coin,  but  the  author 
has  never  heard  "  many-yeared  "  residents  express 
any  other  opinion  of  German  social  life  than  that  it 
Is  hollow,  unsatisfying  and  lonely. 


94  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Although  the  writer  counts  his  German  acquaint- 
ances by  thousands,  he  is  obliged  to  admit  that  he 
suffered  from  the  same  feeling  of  loneliness  and 
isolation  during  his  stay  on  the  other  side  of  the 
German  Ocean.  One  English  lady  used  to  say  "  she 
sincerely  hoped  it  would  never  be  her  lot  to  die  among 
the  unfeeling  Teutons."  That  lady  had  lived  among 
them  long  enough  to  get  below  the  veneer,  to  feel  the 
absence  of  true  feeling  and  to  be  sensitive  of  the  at- 
mosphere of  superficiality,  mistrust  and  hardhearted- 
ness  which  characterizes  everyday  intercourse. 

In  both  countries  the  cry  has  been  heard  again 
and  again,  "  The  English  and  Germans  ought  to  be 
able  to  understand  each  other  and  be  friends."  As 
a  matter  of  fact  such  a  hope  was  destined  from  the 
very  nature  of  things  to  remain  a  dream.  The  pro- 
saic undemonstrative  Englishman  seeks  satisfaction 
in  sincerity  and  good  faith,  while  the  Teuton  is  a 
mere  slave  to  exteriors  and  keeps  faith  so  long  as  it 
suits  him.^  The  German  worships  the  uniform  or 
the  title,  while  the  Anglo-Saxon  coldly  considers  the 
man  which  wears  them.  England's  greatest  son  de- 
clared, **  Manners  maketh  man,"  but  Germany  in 
theory  and  practice  proclaims,  **  Knowledge  maketh 

^An  English  lawyer  who  often  conducted  cases  for  Germans  in 
English  courts  said:  "A  German  keeps  a  contract  so  long  as  all 
goes  well.  But  should  a  strike  or  any  other  circumstance  inter- 
vene to  aflFect  his  profits,  then  the  German  merchant  wriggles  and 
endeavours  by  fair  means  or  foul  to  get  rid  of  his  contract."  My 
own  observations  confirm  this  opinion. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  95 

man."  The  one  magnifies  the  heart,  the  affections, 
the  feelings,  while  the  other  lauds  the  intellect  and 
the  sword  as  the  "  open.  Sesame,"  of  life's  portals. 

As  the  one  worships  the  human  heart  and  soul, 
consequently  his  "  manners "  are  inspired  from 
within  and  are  intended  to  show  what  he  means  in 
unaffected  sincerity;  but  the  German's  "manners" 
are  things  learned  by  "  rule  of  thumb,"  and  seldom 
reveal  what  lies  beneath  the  surface  —  in  fact  they 
often  are  deliberately  employed  to  conceal  his  Inner 
motives.  The  writer  has  on  many  occasions  ob- 
served German  boys  in  secluded  parts  of  public  parks 
and  gardens  practising  the  latest  swing  in  taking  the 
hat  off.  Another  little  index  to  German  character 
is  found  in  the  mirror  which  every  German  —  male 
and  female  —  carries  in  pocket  or  hand-bag.  The 
pocket  mirror  appears  anywhere  and  everywhere  — 
in  restaurant  or  drawing-room,  in  the  train  or  in  the 
street.  It  is  one  of  the  humorous  "  sights  "  of  Ger- 
man cities  to  see  a  street-scavenger  rest  for  a  few 
minutes  on  his  broom,  take  out  his  mirror  —  a  little 
larger  than  a  five-shilling  piece  —  and  carefully  ar- 
range his  moustache,  etc.  There  is  nothing  to  con- 
demn in  these  customs;  they  reveal  the  love  of  or- 
der and  reverence  for  exteriors.  The  only  regret- 
table point  is  that  Germans  do  not  lay  the  same  value 
on  matters  hidden  from  the  human  eye. 

Friendship  is  "  deep  calling  to  deep,"  but  how 
could  deep  call  to  shallow?     The  English  admire  a 


9e  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

"  refined  "  man  or  woman,  whereas  the  Germans  are 
satisfied  with  a  person  being  liehenswurdig  (kindly, 
obliging,  but  in  reality  the  best  translation  is  "  gush- 
ing"). You  may  play  the  Teuton  a  dirty  trick, 
if  it  is  well  sweetened  with  Liebenswiirdigkeit,'^  but 
a  word  of  unpleasant  truth  would  awaken  feelings 
of  bitter  hostility. 

Probably  no  greater  delusion  has  gained  currenq^ 
than  the  one  that  Germans  are  sentimental.  They 
may  have  been  some  generations  ago,  but  certainly 
the  present  generation  by  no  means  deserve  that 
accusation.  Officialdom,  militarism  and  intellectu- 
allsm,  as  well  as  financial  prosperity,  have  all  done 
their  part  in  restraining  the  growth  or  in  obliterating 
the  finer  feelings. 

In  fact  the  typical  German  of  the  middle  and 
higher  classes  shows  undisguised  contempt  for  senti- 
ment in  every  form,  whilst  the  vast  numbers  Included 
under  the  present  classes  never  have  been  civilized 
up  to  such  a  standard  and  remain  to-day  mere  money- 
grubbing  beasts  of  burden.  But  of  these  more  will 
be  said  In  another  place.  Here  it  may  suffice  to  state 
that  the  affections  play  a  very  unimportant  role  in 
the  economy  of  modern  German  life.  Love  of  home 
and  fidelity  to  Its  tender  ties  are  antagonistic  to  the 
military  ideal  of  character.  Even  feelings  of  affec- 
tion for  school  or  alma  mater  are  seldom  mingled 
with  the  German's  iron  conception  of  life  and  its 
duties. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  97 

Just  as  Treltschke's  teachings  dominate  the  ethics 
of  the  German  State,  so  Nietzsche's  doctrines  have 
found  general  acceptance  among  Individuals.  Senti- 
ment, tenderness  to  the  weak,  whether  young  or  old, 
respect  for  grey  hairs  are  unfamiliar  weaknesses 
amid  Teutonic  surroundings. 

Only  too  often  one  sees  ah  aged  mother  or  father 
installed  in  the  homes  of  married  children  to  be 
"  used  up  ''  under  conditions  less  congenial  than  those 
of  a  common  drudge.  But  at  their  death  the  Press 
contains  huge  paid  advertisements  of  their  noble  lives 
and  many  virtues  —  unappreciated  in  life  —  while 
the  farewell  addresses  at  the  grave-side  give  utter- 
ance to  German  filial  piety. 

The  absence  of  any  true  sentiment  for  weaker  be- 
ings is,  however,  best  illustrated  by  Germany's  at- 
titude to  women.  Plaything  and  drudge  define  her 
position  only  too  truly.  It  is  not  surprising  that 
millions  of  the  lower  classes  are  dissatisfied  with  a 
system  which  makes  their  daughters  the  legal  prey 
of  "  better  class  "  young  men,  although  not  a  few 
seem  quite  content  with  these  social  arrangements.* 

On  proceeding  to  the  university  or  obtaining  a 
lieutenant's    commission   the    young    Teuton    looks 

•*  In  Munich,  for  instance,  the  student  who  has  a  liaison  with  a 
Biirgertochter  (daughter  of  a  citizen  family)  often  mixes  quite 
freely  in  the  family  circle.  On  Sundays  and  holidays  he  may  be 
seen  with  the  family,  sitting  in  a  Biergarten  or  other  place  of 
amusement.  Neither  thinks  of  marriage;  it  is  the  accepted  order 
of  things,  and,  most  surprising  of  all,  no  dishonour  to  the  girl. 


98  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

around  for  a  Verhdltnis  (In  Munich  dialect  Gesch- 
pusi)^  and  will  have  no  difficulty  in  forming  such  a 
friendship  with  a  shop-girl,  waitress,  better-class  serv- 
ant-girls, daughters  of  small  tradesmen  and  officials, 
even  family  governesses,  etc.  He  Incurs  no  other 
obligations  than  paying  for  entertainments,  excursions 
and  such-like.  During  his  pre-marital  years  he  may 
form  many  such  irregular  acquaintanceships ;  this  will 
by  no  means  restrict  his  social  activities,  although  his 
Don  Juan  proclivities  may  form  a  delectable  subject 
of  conversation  for  ladies  over  cups  of  coffee.  No 
German  would  think  of  forbidding  him  his  home  on 
that  account;  so  long  as  he  confines  his  amours  to 
girls  vom  Volke  (from  the  people)  everything  is 
quite  In  order,  and  the  girl,  too,  Is  considered  quite 
"  respectable,"  so  long  as  she  is  true  to  Don  Juan. 
But  should  she  Induce  him  to  marry  her  ^  a  storm  of 
bitter  indignation  will  disturb  the  bosoms  of  her  bet- 
ter-placed sisters.  Rich  Gretchen  tolerates  poor 
Gretl  In  the  role  of  plaything,  there  Is  no  protest,  no 
condemnation,  but  should  das  Mddchen  vom  Volke 
steal  a  husband  from  circles  above  her,  mere  words 
can  hardly  express  rich  Gretchen's  horror  at  this 
abominable  crime.  How  far  this  cancer-growth  has 
spread  its  roots,*  even  among  the  girls  of  better- 

^  English  Registrars'  Offices  have  often  been  the  scene  of  such 
marriages.  Various  agents  advertise  in  German  newspapers  offer- 
ing to  arrange  preliminaries  and  act  as  interpreters  at  these  cere- 
monies. Truth  contained  an  exposure  of  the  practice  some  years 
back  —  about  1907. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  99 

class  families,  cannot  be  declared  —  aher  man  sagt! 

A  work  published  in  19 14  throws  some  light  on 
this  unpleasant  question.  In  discussing  the  enormous 
spread  of  ''  free  love  "  in  Germany  the  author  writes : 
*'  Free  love,  formerly  common  in  the  lower  classes, 
is  now  frequent  among  better-class  girls  (hoheren 
Tochter) .  This  has  not  been  caused  by  temptation, 
to  which  a  girl  succumbs  or  may  successfully  resist. 
But  it  is  the  widespread  acceptance  of  the  doctrine, 
so  diligently  proclaimed  in  certain  quarters,  of  the 
right  to  love,  and  because  of  the  rejection,  as  old- 
fashioned,  of  the  usual  estimate  placed  upon  chastity. 
Society  pardons  anything  except  a  scandal.^ 

If  corroboration  of  these  statements  were  nec- 
essary, then  it  may  be  found  in  newspaper  adver- 
tisements, Germany's  unlimited  posterestante  corre- 
spondence,^   her    humorous    papers    and    modern 

6  "Moral  und  Gesellschaft  des  20.  Jahrhunderts "  ("Morality 
and  Society  in  the  Twentieth  Century"),  by  Fritz  Berolzheimer. 
Published  in  Berlin,  1914.     Vide  p.  293. 

■^  A  few  years  ago  the  postal  authorities  prohibited  boys  and 
girls  under  sixteen  from  having  letters  addressed  poste  restante. 
Moral  reformers  have  agitated  for  further  restrictions  in  vain, 
yet  half  an  hour  spent  in  any  large  German  post-office  would  con- 
vince any  observer  that  this  mode  of  correspondence  flourishes  — 
and  the  young  girls  fetching  their  letters  are  not  business  people! 
In  every  large  post-office  there  is  a  special  staflF  to  hand  out  these 
secret  communications,  and  between  twelve  and  two  o'clock  and 
five  and  eight  o'clock,  generally,  a  considerable  queue  of  young 
people  may  be  seen  waiting  their  turn  at  the  counter.  There  are 
usually  two  counters,  one  for  initials  A  to  P,  the  other  Q  to  Z. 
A  notice  hangs  on  the  wall:  "The  name,  initials,  or  number 
must  be  written  and  handed  to  the  official."  Germany^s  motto  is 
"thorough." 


100  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

light    literature,    indeed    in    all   her   public   places. 

Immorality  in  Germany  is  widespread  —  not  In- 
cluding State-regulated  vice  —  it  is  not  only  toler- 
ated, but  laughed  at;  it  is  not  the  result  of  climate, 
but  of  cold-blooded,  calculated  materialism;  it  is  what 
Nietzsche  called  Herrenmoral  (gentlemen's  moral- 
ity), which  sanctions  every  indulgence  of  the  super- 
man at  the  expense  of  his  weaker  sisters. 

Germany  has  no  public  opinion  to  protect  the  wait- 
ress ^  and  girls  of  the  lower  middle  classes.  But  the 
chivalry  of  her  sons!  (?)  Why,  the  girl  "hon- 
oured "  in  this  manner  calls  her  lover  mein  Cava- 
lier. 

Martin  Luther  denounced  the  Immorality  of  Ger- 
man cloisters,  but  no  modern  Martin  Luther^  has 
arisen  to  denounce  das  Verhdltnis;  although  Ger- 
many's Tom  Hoods  fill  their  weekly  comic  papers 
with  endless  jokes  on  this  theme,  a  German  "  Bridge 
of  Sighs  "  has  yet  to  be  written. 

Most  remarkable  of  all  is  rich  Gretchen's  attitude 
to  this  question.  Her  moral  sensibilities  never  lead 
her  to  reject  a  husband  who  has  devoted  ten  or  fifteen 

8  The  number  of  waitresses  employed  in  Germany  must  be  enor- 
mous, but  their  social  standing  —  if  they  have  one  —  is  low  indeed. 
Kellnerin  (waitress)  is  a  word  always  associated  with  such 
"  friendships  "  as  described  above. 

8  In  "  Christian  Hospices  "  I  have  sometimes  seen  pamphlets  and 
periodicals  dealing  with  morality,  but  the  fact  remains  that  the 
Churches  in  Germany  have  never  begun  any  effective  crusade 
against  the  flagrant  injustice  which  delivers  up  the  middle  and 
lower-class  women  to  the  lusts  of  well-to-do  young  men. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  10| 

years  of  his  life  to  the  ''  primrose  paths  of  dal- 
liance." When  spoken  to  on  such  a  delicate  subject 
a  German  woman  usually  answers :  "  Ach !  was  kann 
man  doch  machen?  Das  ist  ja  Herrenmoral." 
("  What  is  to  be  done?  That  is  gentlemen's  moral- 
ity.") She  is  content  to  get  a  husband,  but  when  she 
becomes  a  mother  she  neglects  her  opportunities  of 
combating  Herrenmoral  by  instilling  into  her  sons  the 
first  elements  of  chivalry.  It  is  all  '*  part  and  par- 
cel "  of  German  life !  What  rights  have  these 
"  girls  from  the  masses  "  ?  They  are  the  weak  and 
must  be  sacrificed  to  the  strong. 

Next  to  sympathy  and  chivalry  another  important 
test  of  character  is  the  power  to  feel  true  gratitude. 
But  here  again  Teutonic  character  leaves  much  to  be 
desired.  It  would  lead  too  far  to  give  single  in- 
stances, yet  the  most  casual  student  of  history  will 
be  able  to  recall  instances  of  English  help  for  Ger- 
many from  Napoleon  I.  to  the  present  day.  Open 
markets  for  German  goods  in  Great  Britain  and  her 
colonies;  the  giving  up  of  Heligoland;  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  Germans  gaining  their  livelihood  in  this 
country,  including  some  scores  in  our  universities  and 
Government  offices ;  in  fact,  no  door  has  been  closed 
to  them,  not  even  the  doors  of  Parliament,  no  honour 
to  which  they  could  not  aspire,  and  yet,  in  spite  of 
all  this  and  much  more,  the  writer  has  never  read  a 
word  of  gratitude  in  the  German  Press,  nor  heard  one 
from  German  lips  —  on  the  contrary,  only  abuse. 


log  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

English  hospitality  has  been  an  excellent  means  to 
spy,  and  England's  friendship  has  only  called  forth 
diatribes  from  Bismarck  onwards.  The  German  is, 
above  all,  a  cynic  who  will  employ  another's  senti- 
ment to  his  own  advantage  —  but  afterwards  ridicule 
the  weakness. 

The  only  virtues  which  could  be  unreservedly  as- 
cribed to  the  German  are  obedience  and  thrift;  but 
they  are  obedient  because  they  must  be,  not  from 
spontaneous  respect  for  those  in  authority.  His  in- 
dustry and  thrift  are,  however,  unlimited  and  de- 
serve unstinted  praise,  except  where  they  degenerate 
into  greed  and  engender  envy.^^  No  charge  has  been 
oftener  made  than  the  accusation  that  the  English 
envy  Germany,  but  when  called  upon  to  substantiate 
the  statement  Germans  can  only  fall  into  the  well- 
worn  formulas  of  abuse. 

In  summing-up  Germans  are  characterized  by  un- 
bounded vanity,  love  of  secrecy,  morbid  sensitive- 
ness, envy,  absence  of  consideration  for  others,  a 
strong  tendency  to  revert  to  "  the  ape  and  tiger  " ; 
Germans  lack  true  sentiment  and  affection,  but  have 
a  remarkable  Inclination  to  reckless,  brutal  self-as- 
sertion. 

These  seventy  million  human  beings  have  not  long 

10  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  one  of  the  strongest  motives  behind 
the  Social  Democratic  movement  In  Germany  is  innate  envy.  In 
trade  and  amongst  officials,  In  schools  and  universities,  envy  stalks 
by  day  and  night.  There  is  an  expression  which  Germans  often 
use  to  describe  this;  it  is:  Brodneid  =:breaid-envy. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  103 

since  shaken  off  feudal  fetters,  and  since  that  time 
they  have  been  like  clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter. 
A  strong  autocratic  government  has  moulded  them 
for  its  ends.  They  have  been  drilled  and  intellectual- 
ized,  but  neither  freed  nor  regenerated. 

Beneath  the  intellectual  veneer  and  imitated  man- 
ners lies  Germany's  heart  —  a  heart  which  has  not 
been  changed  either  by  culture  or  Christianity.  The 
Romantic  Revival  and  the  War  of  Liberation  pro- 
duced only  Weltschmerz  (world-pain),  Sturm  und 
Drang,  but  were  not  succeeded  by  a  humanitarian 
movement. 

Early  in  January,  19 15,  the  Morning  Post,  In  a 
leading  article  on  Mr.  Norman  Angell's  book,  "  Prus- 
sianism  and  its  Destruction,*'  ^^  quotes  that  writer  as 
stating  that  "  some  half-dozen  professors  and  a  few 
writers  and  theorists  —  Nietzsche,  Treitschke,  and 
their  school  —  have  radically  transformed  the  nature 
and  character  of  some  seventy  million  souls."  In 
that  sentence  Mr.  Norman  Angell  betrays  his  com- 
plete Ignorance  of  a  subject  which  only  presumption, 
or  the  natural  desire  to  profit  by  his  writings,  could 
have  Induced  him  to  write  upon. 

11  The  author  has  not  read  Mr.  Norman  Angell's  book  and  has 
no  intention  of  doing  so.  He  is,  however,  astonished  at  the 
temerity  of  this  gentleman  in  writing  about  a  country  and  a  people 
of  which  he  knows  nothing  —  not  even  the  German  language.  If 
Mr.  Norman  Angell  knows  Prussia,  why  did  he  not  write  on  the 
subject  and  warn  the  world  —  including  the  British  public  —  be- 
fore the  war?  All  in  all,  this  gentleman  would  do  well  to  study 
humanity  itself,  and  not  exploit  it  with  his  worthless  opinions. 


104  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

The  national  "  character  "  of  Germany  and  the 
*'  nature  "  of  Germans  have  not  been  transformed 
by  professors  and  theorists.  Character,  both  na- 
tional and  individual,  has  always  been  of  the  brutal 
type  in  the  Fatherland;  the  success  of  Treitschke  and 
his  school  is  due  to  the  fact  that  their  teachings  were 
acceptable  to  the  nation  —  in  short,  the  seed  fell  upon 
good  ground.  But  it  is  a  ridiculous  theory  to  im- 
agine that  the  seed  "  transformed  "  the  soil. 

The  writer  in  question  —  although  German 
sources  are  a  closed  book  to  him  —  should  at  least  be 
acquainted  with  the  writings  of  Byron,  Shelley,  Rus- 
kin,  Charles  Reade  and  a  host  of  others,  who  bear 
testimony  to  German  character  being  disgusting,^^ 
brutal,  and  permeated  with  a  love  of  destruction. 

Bavarians  love  to  talk  of  Gemiitlichkeit  (good- 
natured,  easy-going  disposition)  as  their  national 
characteristic.  The  Prussian  prides  himself  on  his 
Schneidigke'it  (smartness,  effrontery  and  go).  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  the  Prussian  ideal  has  sup- 
planted the  Bavarian.  A  German  who  has  plenty 
of  dash,  is  overbearing  to  inferiors,  who  speaks 
shortly  and  sharply,  repulses  friendly  advances  with 
abruptness  and  brims  over  with  self-assertion  — .is  a 
true  German.  He  commands  respect  and  admira- 
tion —  because  he  embodies  the  qualities  which  Teu- 

12  Shelley  in  his  diary  —  the  author  is  quoting  from  memory  — 
speaks  of  "  the  disgusting  Germans."  Dr.  Ackermann,  the  German 
biographer  of  Shelley,  translates  the  phrase  "die  ividerwdrtigen 
Deutschen." 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  105 

tons  admire.  Of  him  It  Is  said :  "  Der  hat  Schneld !  " 
("  He  Is  a  keen  fellow!  ")  In  reality,  however,  he 
Is  a  swashbuckler  minus  his  weapons.  "  We  Ger- 
mans have  very  little  capacity  to  make  moral  and  cul- 
tural conquests,  and  as  we  have  already  remarked, 
It  Is  especially  a  North  German  characteristic  —  and 
the  Prussians  dare  not  deny  the  charge  —  that  they 
cannot  understand  the  peculiarities  of  another  peo- 
ple and  are  unable  to  establish  friendly,  harmonious 
relations  with  other  men.  This  weakness  has  Its 
roots  In  the  steadily  Increasing  Prussian  Influence  on 
German  character,  above  all  the  trait  of  personal 
abruptness  {Schrofheit  —  rudeness)  In  the  Inter- 
course of  everyday  life.  We  are  accustomed  to  call 
this  quality  smartness  {Schneidigkeit) ,  but  It  cov- 
ers only  too  frequently  merely  arrogance  of  caste  or 
nationality.  This  Prussian-German  Schneidigkeit 
Injures  Germany  In  the  outside  world  both  from  a 
political  and  cultural  point  of  view."  ^^ 

13 "Der  deutsche  Gedanke"    ("The  German  Idea"),  by  Paul 
Rohrbach,  p.  227. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  GERMAN  ARMY  AND  COURTS-MARTIAL 

VISITORS  to  Germany  before  the  European 
War  were  generally  surprised  to  find  the 
Germans  not  only  proud  of  their  great  fighting 
machine,  but  also  unreserved  and  enthusiastic  sup- 
porters of  the  militaristic  idea.  So  many  anti-con- 
scription writers  had  led  the  British  public  to  be- 
lieve that  young  Teutons  were  forcibly  dragged 
from  their  homes  like  press-gang  victims  to  render 
unwilling  service  to  the  Kaiser,  under  conditions  sim- 
ilar to  the  galley-slaves  in  the  fleets  of  ancient  Rome, 
that  It  came  as  a  surprise  to  many,  to  learn  that  Ger- 
mans felt  sincere  pleasure,  as  well  as  pride.  In  wear- 
ing the  Kaiserrock  (Emperor's  uniform) . 

October  ist  is  the  fateful  day  on  which  several 
hundred  thousand  recruits  flock  to  the  colours,  and 
during  the  few  days  previous  to  entering  the  army 
young  Germany  gives  itself  up  to  festivity.  In  the 
villages  a  characteristic  sight  at  the  end  of  Septem- 
ber is  the  decorated  wagons  full  of  young  fellows  be- 
ing drawn  from  one  beer-house  to  the  next.  They 
form  a  merry  crowd,  carrying  beer-tankards,  sing- 
ing lustily  and  shouting  prosit!  to  every  passer-by. 

io6 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  107 

Each  of  these  happy  days  concludes  with  dancing 
and  music  till  late  in  the  night.  It  is  the  recruit's 
last  "  good  time  "  before  submitting  to  the  most 
rigorous  of  all  the  disciplines  which  shape  his  life. 
The  writer  has  witnessed  many  such  scenes  without 
detecting  any  unwillingness  among  the  men,  although 
it  would  be  wrong  to  assume  there  are  none  of  the 
recruits  who  would  rather  not  go. 

Occasionally  the  papers  reported  cases  of  young 
fellows  being  court-martialled  for  having  accident- 
ally (?)  cut  off  a  finger  or  mutilated  themselves  in 
some  manner,  to  make  themselves  unfit  for  military 
service,  but  such  reports  were  rare.  If  a  man  does 
not  present  himself  on  October  ist  a  warrant  is  im- 
mediately issued  for  his  arrest  as  a  deserter.  The 
German  army  statistics  for  191 1  give  the  number  of 
deserters  in  that  year  at  1,089;  ^^t  during  the  same 
year  661  deserters  afterwards  joined  the  colours  and 
were  punished.  Many  of  these  were  undoubtedly 
deserters  from  previous  years,  and  if  we  subtract  the 
two  numbers  we  obtain  a  net  loss  to  the  army  of  428 
men  through  desertion.  The  result  is  only  approxi- 
mate, but  whether  we  accept  the  larger  number  (i,- 
089)  or  the  smaller  (428),  the  proportion  of  de- 
serters —  from  over  250,000  recruits  plus  500,000 
men  already  in  the  army  —  is  insignificant. 

For  mutilation  in  order  to  escape  service  a  man 
may  be  sentenced  to  several  years'  penal  servitude. 
A  deserter  sacrifices  all  property  and  civil  rights; 


108  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

if  he  visits  the  Fatherland  in  later  years  he  does  so  at 
the  risk  of  arrest  and  severe  punishment. 

Another  mode  of  escaping  military  service  is  to 
smoke  large  numbers  of  cigarettes  and  drink  quanti- 
ties of  beer  for  a  few  days  previous  to  the  medical 
examination.  Students  sometimes  do  this,  and  if 
the  man  is  in  a  students-corps,  he  may  have  himself 
examined  by  a  medical  man  who  is  an  ex-member  of 
the  corps.  In  this  manner  also  certificates  of  exemp- 
tion are  occasionally  procured. 

A  man  who  does  not  serve  is  looked  upon  as  a 
shirker  of  the  worst  kind,  and  even  if  a  man  is  ex- 
cused for  medical  reasons  he  is  to  a  certain  extent 
despised.  It  is  a  fact  on  which  he  prefers  to  keep 
silence,  evidently  because  he  feels  himself  to  be  out- 
side the  national  brotherhood.  To  see  thousands 
of  these  men  disappear  with  laughter  and  song,  with 
apparent  enjoyment,  into  German  barrack  life  is  an 
inspiring  sight.  They  submit  themselves  to  the  great 
military  *'  must  *' —  because  they  must. 

Since  returning  to  his  native  country  the  writer 
has  witnessed  a  sight  still  more  inspiring,  in  that  he 
has  seen  tens  of  thousands  of  England's  sons  flock- 
ing to  arms ;  because  they  may  and  will.  They  sub- 
mit themselves  to  military  discipline  because  they 
win,  and  therein  lies  the  superiority  of  moral  worth. 

There  are,  speaking  generally,  two  classes  of  sol- 
diers In  the  German  army,  viz.,  those  who  serve  full 
time  and  the  men  who  serve  only  one  year.     Full- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  109 

time  men  must  serve  two  years  In  the  artillery  or  in- 
fantry and  three  years  if  in  the  cavalry. 

The  one-year-men  are  called  Einjdhrige-Frei- 
willige  and  when  addressed  by  a  superior  Herr 
Einjdhriger  (Mr.  One-year-man).  An  examina- 
tion must  be  passed  in  order  to  obtain  the  two  years' 
exemption.  This  examination  is  held  in  the  State 
schools  and  the  candidates  must  be  sixteen  years  of 
age.  Boys  who  cannot  afford  to  remain  at  school 
so  long  often  prepare  for  it  by  private  study. 

A  boy  of  good  family  is  obliged  to  gain  this  certi- 
ficate or  lose  caste  by  serving  as  a  common  soldier 
(Gemeiner) .  At  the  age  of  nineteen  or  twenty  he 
announces  himself  to  the  nearest  military  authority, 
at  the  same  time  he  must  produce  his  "  one-year- 
certificate."  He  is  not  obliged  to  enter  the  army 
immediately,  and  should  he  desire  to  go  abroad  or 
to  a  university,  the  authorities  allow  him  to  postpone 
his  term  of  service  till  his  twenty-fourth  year,  but 
seldom  longer. 

In  all  university  towns  a  considerable  number  of 
the  students  are  one-year-men  serving  in  the  army. 
They  are  enrolled  as  students,  pay  the  fees,  but 
seldom  appear  at  lectures;  the  terms  are  reckoned  by 
the  academic  authorities.  In  peace  time  from  twenty 
to  fifty  soldiers  of  this  class  are  attached  to  each 
regiment;  the  colonel's  permission  must  be  ob- 
tained before  a  man  can  join.  In  the  case  of  crack 
regiments,   private   means   and  social   standing  are 


110  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

factors   which   a   colonel  takes   into   consideration. 

Just  as  his  less  fortunate  comrades,  the  one-year- 
volunteer  enters  barracks  on  October  ist  —  in  North 
Germany  April  ist  —  and  for  the  next  three  weeks 
he  lives  in  the  barracks.  No  recruit  is  allowed  to  go 
into  the  streets  before  he  has  mastered  the  elements 
of  military  deportment,  saluting  and  other  minor 
details. 

One-year-men  receive  no  assistance  from  the  State, 
they  must  bear  the  whole  expense  of  uniforms  and 
kit  as  well  as  board  and  lodging.  After  the  three 
weeks'  preliminary  drill  they  live  either  in  lodgings 
or  at  home  if  that  is  possible.  In  the  evenings  they 
are  generally  free  and  form  a  familiar  sight  in  res- 
taurant, coffee-house,  theatre  and  other  places  of 
amusement.  They  are  easily  distinguishable  by  their 
smart  well-fitting  uniforms  with  blue  and  white  cord- 
ing round  the  shoulderstraps. 

Needless  to  add  they  do  not  go  through  the  rough- 
est part  of  military  life.  They  have  no  authority 
over  ordinary  soldiers,  but  still  form  a  class  by  them- 
selves between  the  rankers  and  officers.  In  the 
streets  they  never  walk  with  long-service  men,  and 
of  course  are  never  seen  in  the  company  of  officers, 
unless  they  meet  as  guests  at  a  dinner-party  or  other 
private  function.  Their  training  is  supplemented  by 
class  instruction  in  tactics  and  the  theory  of  warfare. 
In  war  time  if  their  superiors  have  fallen,  they  may 
be  called  upon  to  take  command. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  111 

It  IS  an  universal  custom  for  these  men  to  give 
gratuities  to  the  N.C.O.'s  of  their  company.  Such 
gifts  are  voluntary  only  in  name,  for  if  a  wealthy 
young  man  neglected  to  give  his  sergeant,  etc.,  the 
customary  Schmier  (wagon  grease  —  slang  for  tip) 
it  Is  quite  certain  that  his  superiors  would  make  his 
twelve  months'  military  service  as  unpleasant  as  pos- 
sible. 

The  writer  has  never  heard  of  a  one-year-man  re- 
ceiving a  blow  from  an  N.C.O.,  but  they  no  doubt 
get  the  usual  amount  of  barrack-yard  abuse.  In 
fact  numerous  men  of  this  class  have  told  the  author 
how  degrading  it  Is  for  them — men  of  education 
— to  be  sworn  at  and  abused  with  disgusting  names 
by  "  ein  rohes  ungeblldetes  Vieh  "  ("a  rude  unedu- 
cated beast "). 

As  already  mentioned,  they  are  free  to  take  their 
meals  where  they  like,  consequently  they  are  familiar 
figures  in  all  the  better-class  restaurants,  and  it  Is 
Interesting  to  observe  them  give  a  keen  glance  round 
the  room  on  entering  to  see  If  any  officers  are  present. 

After  the  waiter  has  hung  up  the  man's  mantle, 
helm  and  sword  —  If  an  officer  Is  in  the  restaurant  — 
he  goes  to  the  latter's  table  and  stands  stiffly  at  at- 
tention behind  his  superior's  chair  till  the  salute  Is 
acknowledged.  And  if  half  a  dozen  are  sitting  at 
so  many  different  tables  the  salute  has  to  be  given  to 
each  of  them.  The  same  formalities  precede  the 
soldier's   exit   from   the   premises.     If   an   officer, 


112  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

whom  he  has  not  previously  saluted,  passes  his  table 
he  must  immediately  spring  to  attention.  In  the 
street  also  the  same  punctiliousness  is  observed,  and 
includes  salutes  to  N.C.O.'s. 

The  writer  has  often  observed  a  sentry  present 
arms  to  an  officer  crossing  the  street  two  hundred 
yards  away.  Cavalrymen  and  artillerymen  will 
avoid  saluting  an  infantry  N.C.O.  if  possible,  but 
there  is  the  risk  of  several  days  in  the  guardroom 
for  such  an  oversight. 

In  reference  to  the  presents  given  to  N.C.O.'s  a 
good  story  is  told  of  a  Nuremberg  regiment.  Sev- 
eral one-year-men  subscribed  to  present  the  sergeant 
with  a  piano.  The  N.C.O.  was  delighted,  and  if 
report  be  true  the  men  had  an  agreeable  year  in  the 
army,  after  which  they  returned  to  civilian  life.  A 
few  weeks  later  an  agent  called  on  the  sergeant  to 
collect  the  next  instalment  for  the  piano  I 

The  minimum  cost  to  a  man  during  his  year's  serv- 
ice is  £ioo;  in  cavalry  or  artillery  regiments  it 
amounts  to  several  hundreds.  In  return  for  these 
sacrifices  the  individual  obtains  various  privileges  in 
addition  to  certain  social  status,  i.e.,  he  belongs 
to  the  class  which  may  give  or  demand  satisfac- 
tion. 

After  the  completion  of  the  normal  year's  service 
they  have  still  two  or  three  supplementary  drills  — 
at  yearly  intervals  —  of  eight  weeks.  On  continu- 
ing these  drills  for  several  years  one-year-men  can 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  113 

obtain  the  rank  of  reserve  officer,  and  a  large  pro- 
portion of  them  follow  that  course. 

If  the  man  enters  any  branch  of  the  civil  service, 
his  chances  of  promotion  are  considerably  enhanced 
by  being  an  officer  of  the  reserve.  Such  officers  de- 
fray all  the  expenses  of  uniform  and  kit,  in  fact, 
many  lessons  of  patriotic  self-sacrifice  may  be  learned 
from  the  German  army;  in  many  cases  the  cost 
greatly  exceeds  the  material  gain.  One  privilege 
highly  esteemed  by  reserve  officers  is  the  right  to 
appear  in  uniform  when  entering  the  married  state. 
On  the  Kaiser's  birthday  he  parades  the  streets  in 
uniform,  and  before  he  is  laid  in  his  coffin  he  is 
carefully  attired  in  the  same.^ 

Full-time  soldiers  live  in  the  barracks  and  are  sub- 
ject to  German  military  discipline  in  the  most  com- 
prehensive sense  of  the  word.  Every  man  receives 
ly^d.  per  diem,  but  this  is  not  looked  upon  as  pay- 
ment.    His   food  is  plain  and  consists  largely  of 

1  In  Germany  the  dead  are  always  dressed  before  being  placed 
in  the  coffin.  If  the  deceased  had  the  right  to  wear  a  uniform  in 
life,  then  he  sleeps  his  last  sleep  therein.  Better-class  civilians 
are  dressed  for  the  grave  in  evening  dress  or  frock-coat;  but  in 
every  case  the  best  which  he  possessed  in  this  life.  After  this 
ceremony  is  finished  a  religious  ceremony  follows,  and  the  coffin 
is  immediately  removed  to  the  public  mortuary.  In  every  ceme- 
tery there  is  a  special  building  for  this  purpose.  Young  girls  are 
dressed  in  white  with  a  wreath  round  the  head;  a  married  woman 
is  always  buried  in  the  black  dress  worn  at  her  marriage  ceremony 
in  the  registry  office.  The  coffin  remains  open  till  a  few  minutes 
before  the  interment;  all  relations  and  friends  attend  the  last 
ceremony  and  look  at  the  dead. 


114>  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

black  bread.  Most  of  the  men  are  able  to  supple- 
ment this  fare  by  hampers  from  home,  and  the  civil- 
ian population  show  considerable  kindliness  and  gen- 
erosity to  them. 

The  uniform  is  the  emblem  of  the  Kaiser,  and 
Germans  feel  it  to  be  the  emblem  of  Germany  —  in 
either  case  it  commands  respect.  Nothing  which 
has  been  written  concerning  the  obliteration  of  in- 
dividuality in  the  German  army  could  exaggerate 
the  true  state  of  affairs.  The  authorities  have  a 
certain  ideal  of  the  perfect  soldier,  and  the  whole 
machinery  from  the  Highest  War  Lord  down  to  the 
N.C.O.  Is  arranged  so  as  to  turn  out  the  desired 
pattern.  Above  all  he  must  be  without  individual 
will  or  desire.  Whatever  the  War  Lord  wills  that 
must  be  his  will.  He  is  trained  and  drilled  till  he 
becomes  an  efficient  machine.  When  an  officer  Is 
addressing  him,  he  becomes  a  rigid  figure  without 
a  gleam  of  expression  in  his  countenance.  During 
those  moments  his  superiors*  will  becomes  his  own 
—  and  afterwards  he  puts  it  into  execution.  All 
Germans  love  discipline,  and  when  they  escape  from 
It  hardly  know  what  to  do  with  themselves;  the  su- 
perior will  is  missing  and  the  Individual  will  Is  not 
developed;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  effaced.  So  it  is 
from  the  cradle  to  the  grave  for  millions  of  Ger- 
mans, but  their  mental  and  cultural  development  has 
only  reached  that  stage  which  makes  this  the  best 
system  for  getting  the  last  ounce  out  of  the  last  man. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  115 

No  real  military  discipline  can  be  obtained  with- 
out sacrifice  on  the  part  of  the  soldier.  The  German 
soldier  makes  the  greatest  sacrifice  of  all  —  person- 
ality; and  the  State  Is  thus  able  to  construct  the  most 
disciplined  army-machine  In  the  world. 

A  soldier's  life  never  has  been  and  never  can  be 
a  bed  of  roses,  but  probably  there  are  fewer  roses 
and  more  thorns  for  the  common  soldier  in  the  Ger- 
man army  than  in  any  other  modern  military  system. 
A  quick,  Intelligent  fellow  may  possibly  adapt  him- 
self easily  to  the  requirements,  but  the  vast  majority 
of  Germany's  peasant  classes  are  neither  quick  nor 
intelligent;  they  are  heavy  and  inert  to  stupidity. 

Such  material  is  not  raised  to  the  standard  of 
military  precision  In  vogue  without  endless  labour. 
The  N.C.O.  has  the  task  of  shaping  the  human  ma- 
terial, and  he  is  responsible  in  the  first  instance  for 
getting  the  required  efficiency  Into  the  men.  It  is 
true  the  law  permits  only  moral  suasion,  but  he  uses 
other  kinds  of  persuasion,  e.g.,  a  kick  or  a  blow.  If 
he  is  court-martlalled  for  ill-treating  subordinates  he 
IS  sure  of  sympathetic  judges,  who,  if  they  must  con- 
demn him,  will  give  him  the  benefit  of  "  extenuating 
circumstances,"  which  means,  "  being  too  zealous  in 
the  performance  of  duty."  Furthermore,  the  offi- 
cers are  not  in  sympathy  with  the  men,  whom  they 
look  upon  as  the  Urvieh  (original  beast)  or  Sau- 
dummerhund  (swine-stupid  dog).  They  and  the 
N.C.O.'s  are  responsible  for  the  Urvieh  becoming 


116  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

a  soldier,  and  as  he  is  of  this  material  they  canftot  be 
blamed  for  employing  suitable  methods  to  attain 
the  desired  end.  The  end  is  everything,  because  it 
must  be  attained. 

Without  doubt  the  discipline  of  the  German  sol- 
dier is  on  a  very  high  level,  and  those  who  know 
young  Germans  of  the  lower  classes  before  entering 
the  army  may  wonder  how  it  is  possible.  The  trans- 
formation scene  in  the  barrack-yard,  is  hidden  from 
the  public  eye,  but  the  process  must  be  painful  in  the 
extreme. 

It  is  difficult  to  write  about  German  barrack  life, 
because  those  who  know  it  from  experience  may  not 
speak  of  it.  A  soldier  dare  not  talk  of  the  happen- 
ings in  army  life;  they  are  militdrische  Geheimnisse. 
The  kick  of  a  sergeant  or  the  mechanism  of  a  new 
cannon  are  both  ''  military  secrets,"  and  a  soldier 
who  spoke  of  them  to  a  mere  civilian  would  expose 
himself  to  severe  punishment. 

The  teachers  in  the  State  schools  and  officials  in 
all  Government  services  are  compelled  to  observe 
official  secrecy  {Amtsverschwiegenheit)  ^  and  this  is 
naturally  much  stricter  in  the  case  of  the  army. 

In  19 14  the  Social  Democratic  leader  Rosa  Lux- 
embourg stated  in  a  public  speech  that  "  there  are 
countless  tragedies  enacted  in  German  barracks 
every  year.'* 

The  Union  of  N.C.O.'s  complained  to  the  War 
Office,  and  the  Public  Prosecutor  began  an  action 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  117 

against  the  lady  for  slandering  the  army.  At  the 
trial  In  July  last  she  pleaded  justification  and  de- 
manded that  many  hundreds  of  witnesses  —  N.C. 
O.'s  and  privates  —  should  be  called  in  order  that 
the  truth  of  her  statement  might  be  proved.  If  this 
course  had  been  pursued  the  Social  Democratic  Party 
would  have  been  supplied  with  an  unlimited  amount 
of  ammunition  for  purposes  of  agitation.  Details 
would  have  been  made  public  which  would  have  in- 
jured the  military  party;  in  a  word,  the  latter  would 
have  been  led  into  a  trap.  The  Public  Prosecutor 
recognized  the  position,  and  the  case  was  adjourned 
sine  die,  which  meant  that  the  courts  would  not  be 
troubled  with  the  charge  again.  War  intervened, 
effectually  preventing  further  developments. 

Of  course  a  private  can  complain  of  ill-treatment 
to  his  captain  and  the  N.C.O.  will  be  summoned  be- 
fore a  court-martial.  Even  then  it  is  impossible 
for  the  general  public  to  learn  the  rights  of  the  af- 
fair; in  the  papers  reports  like  the  following  appear: 

"  Sergeant  X.  was  court-martialled  for  Ill-treat- 
ing his  subordinates.  Forty  Instances  were  cited  and 
fifty  witnesses  called.  In  the  interests  of  military 
discipline  the  press  and  public  were  excluded  from 
the  trial.  Sergeant  X.  was  found  guilty  with  ex- 
tenuating circumstances  and  was  sentenced  to  three 
days  mild  arrest."  That  is  to  say,  if  the  officer  ac- 
cepts the  verdict  he  remains  in  the  bosom  of  his 
family  for  three  days,  but  in  most  cases  he  does  not 


118  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

put  up  with  such  an  "  injustice  " ;  he  appeals  to  a 
higher  court,  and  very  often  succeeds  in  getting  the 
record  expunged. 

Privates  who  have  participated  in  the  trial  by  giv- 
ing adverse  evidence  may  expect  a  warm  time  from 
the  sergeant  in  question  and  every  other  N.C.O.  with 
whom  they  come  in  contact.  Every  trick  in  the 
arsenal  of  cunning  brutality  will  be  employed  to 
make  the  men  regret  having  endangered  discipline. 

The  authorities'  point  of  view  is  that  their  raison 
3!etre  is  the  maintenance  of  military  efficiency  and 
not  the  administration  of  justice.  Ordinary  concep- 
tions of  right  and  justice  must  be  left  outside  the 
barrack  gates;  within,  the  will  of  the  army  is  the 
first  and  last  consideration.  The  end  is  military  effi- 
ciency, which  includes  absolute  submission  of  every 
shred  of  personality;  the  end  justifies  the  means,  be 
they  moral  suasion  or  brutal  ill-treatment.  Cer- 
tainly any  legal  artifice,  sometimes  open  disregard  of 
right,  is  resorted  to  in  order  to  screen  non-commis- 
sioned officers  from  punishment.  An  interesting 
paragraph  occurs  in  an  anonymous  work  published 
in  1890,  ^^  der  judische  soldat  im  deutschen  Heer" 
("The  Jewish  Soldier  in  the  German  Army.") 
There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  conditions  have 
improved,  which  justifies  a  quotation  from  p.  17, 
et  seq.:  "  The  private  is  too  browbeaten  and  afraid 
of  the  consequences  of  complaining,  for  he  says  to 
himself;   *  My  superior  will  be   punished   for  the 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  119 

wrong  done  to  me,  but  for  years  I  shall  have  to  suffer 
as  a  result  of  his  punishment.'  If  a  two-year  man  is 
convicted  for  a  military  offence  his  punishment  gen- 
erally includes  an  extra  year  in  the  army.  Soldiers 
fear  this  punishment  above  all  others  as  a  result  of 
complaints.  An  N.C.O.  can  cause  a  man  all  sorts  of 
unpleasantnesses  against  which  there  is  no  protec- 
tion whatever.  He  has  power  to  rob  a  private  of 
all  his  leisure  by  giving  him  extra  jobs,  and  he  can 
embitter  his  life  by  all  kinds  of  harassing  hardships 
and  oppression.  Besides,  he  can  follow  him  with 
eyes  of  hate  and  catch  him  up  for  the  most  harmless 
sins  of  omission  or  commission.  Every  reader 
who  knows  barrack-yard  life  can  confirm  this.  Then 
there  is  the  consideration  that  a  captain  hates  to 
have  complaints  in  his  company,  because  he  must 
report  them  to  his  superiors.  Lastly  it  is  well- 
known  that  a  man  who  has  made  a  complaint  is  gen- 
erally carpeted  in  the  sergeant's  office  and  the  in- 
jurious consequences  of  his  course  pointed  out  to 
him;  in  a  word  he  is  bullied  into  withdrawing  it." 

Imagine  for  a  moment  that  an  accusation  is  made 
by  an  N.C.O.  against  a  private,  e.g.,  for  disobedience 
{Verweigerung  des  Geshorsams  is  the  military  desig- 
nation) ;  then  the  press  is  not  excluded,  for  the  evil- 
doings  of  a  mere  private  are  public  property.  Pub- 
licity exercises  "  moral  influence  "  on  pubHc  opinion 
in  these  cases,  and  on  such  occasions  the  severest  pos- 
sible punishment  will  be  dealt  out  to  offenders. 


120  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

The  difficulty  of  obtaining  facts  bearing  on  this 
question  will  be  appreciated  by  readers  after  reading 
the  following  Instances.  About  two  years  ago  a 
sergeant  was  sitting  In  a  beer-garden,  when  two 
civilians  seated  themselves  at  the  same  table.  Con- 
versation of  a  friendly  kind  ensued  In  which  the 
N.C.O.  committed  the  fatal  error  —  In  Germany  — 
of  frankly  expressing  his  opinion  to  strangers.  The 
topic  of  conversation  was  German  officers,  and  the 
sergeant  spoke  bitterly  of  the  manner  In  which  com- 
missioned officers  treat  their  subordinates.  He  even 
expressed  the  belief  that  *'  In  the  next  war  more  Ger- 
man officers  would  be  shot  In  the  back  by  their  own 
men,  than  would  be  accounted  for  by  the  enemy."  ^ 
Like  true  Germans,  the  two  civilians  reported  the 
conversation  to  the  sergeant's  commanding  officer.^ 
He  was  court-martlalled  and  sentenced  to  degrada- 
tion and  two  years'  Imprisonment. 

2  This  may  explain  why  German  officers  have  not  led,  but  driven 
their  men  into  battle  during  the  present  war. 

3  In  spite  of  the  excellent  proverb,  "  Der  Denunziant  ist  der 
grosste  Lump  im  Land"  ("The  tale-bearer  is  the  biggest  scoundrel 
in  the  land"),  denunciation  flourishes  in  all  classes  of  society. 
It  is  alike,  the  weapon  at  Court  (the  Crown  Prince  has  often  had 
things  confided  to  him  in  order  that  the  Kaiser  may  hear  of  them) 
and  in  petty  officialdom.  One  instance  will  illustrate  the  Crown 
Prince's  activities  in  this  domain.  When  Gerhart  Hauptmann's 
patriotic  play  was  produced  at  Breslau  in  1913,  the  Catholic 
Archbishop  of  Breslau  wrote  to  the  Crown  Prince  informing  him 
that  the  Hohenzollerns  were  not  exactly  glorified  in  the  piece  and 
requesting  him  to  communicate  with  the  Kaiser.  He  did,  and  the 
vials  of  imperial  wrath  were  poured  on  the  Silesian  capital  and 
the  playwright.     Fide  p.  47. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  121 

If  an  educated  German  is  questioned  on  these 
matters  he  defends  them  as  necessary  evils: 
"  DIese  Bauernkerle  miissen  abgerlchtet  werden!'' 
("These  chawbacon  fellows  must  be  knocked  Into 
shape.")  If  he  has  any  qualms  of  conscience  they 
are  smoothed  over  In  the  belief  that  It  Is  all  for 
the  good  of  the  Fatherland  and  the  fellow  himself. 
The  military  system  must  be  right,  for  Germany 
has  been  singularly  barren  of  John  Hampdens. 

"  In  the  Interests  of  military  discipline,"  Is  the 
great  Teutonic  Juggernaut  before  which  parents 
must  cast  their  sons  and  before  which  every  other 
right  must  give  way.  There  Is  no  way  open  for 
soldiers  in  barracks  to  escape  from  the  brutalities 
of  army  life,  and  no  power  or  public  opinion  In 
Germany  capable  of  checking  them.  A  very  real 
dread  of  jumping  from  the  frying-pan  Into  the 
fire  suppresses  any  Inclination  at  revolt  which 
soldiers  may  feel. 

Every  year,  however,  a  considerable  number  do 
escape  from  the  torments  of  military  life,  but  it 
Is  only  by  putting  themselves  beyond  the  reach  of 
human  justice.  Suicides  are  fairly  common,  al- 
though the  official  report  generally  represents  them 
in  another  light. 

Here  Is  an  example  of  what  the  writer  has  read 
in  German  papers  on  several  occasions :  "  Private 
A.  B.  was  found  on  the  pavement  before  the 
barracks  with  his  skull  smashed.     The  poor  '  gone- 


1^2  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

over-there-one  '  {der  Dahingeschiedene  =  deceased) 
was  a  somnambulist  and  had  presumably  fallen 
from  a  window  on  the  second  story.  Private  A.  B. 
was  a  good  soldier  and  popular  among  his  comrades 
and  superiors.  No  reason  whatever  Is  known 
which  could  arouse  a  suspicion  that  the  deceased 
had  voluntarily  gone  to  his  death."  Those  who  are 
sufficiently  credulous  may  believe  that  the  dead 
man  had  not  committed  suicide;  the  writer  had 
never  any  doubts  when  reading  such  reports,  but 
"  the  Incredible  spirit  of  submission,  of  discipline 
and  of  secrecy  which  prevails  In  Germany  "  ^  renders 
It  Impossible  to  fathom  such  mysteries. 

In  order  to  realize  the  brutal  cynicism  of  German 
military  courts  It  Is  helpful  to  consider  the  quarrel 
between  Henry  II.  and  Thomas  a  Becket  over  the 
ecclesiastical  courts,  which  enjoyed  privileges  sub- 
versive to  civil  justice.  The  same  conditions 
prevail  In  modern  Germany,  with  the  difference 
that  the  military  courts  possess  far  greater  powers 
than  the  old  church  courts,  and  concerning  persons 
subject  to  military  discipline  they  have  the  last  word. 
Furthermore,  there  Is  no  one  who  dare  oppose  or 
criticize  them.  Their  sentences  for  offences  com- 
mitted by  officers,  commissioned  or  non-commis- 
sioned, are  for  the  most  part  venal ;  the  punishments 
which  they  mete  out  to  ordinary  soldiers  brutal. 

It   Is   the   writer's   conviction   that   the   military 

*  The  Times'  issue  of  the  French  Yellow  Book,  p.  4,  column  4. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  123 

courts  are  at  the  root  of  all  the  social  evils  accruing 
from  German  militarism.  They  are  the  Star 
Chambers  by  means  of  which  the  military  autocracy 
is  able  to  maintain  itself.  Only  by  these  means 
could  the  thousand-and-one  injustices  of  German 
national  life  exist.  The  sentence  of  death  on 
Private  Lonsdale,  who  was  afterwards  condemned 
to  life-long  imprisonment,  is  quite  in  accordance  with 
German  court-martial  traditions. 

There  is  yet  another  section  of  the  Kaiser's  army 
to  consider  —  des  Ofjizierskorps.  The  author's 
earliest  acquaintances  among  the  elite  of  German 
society  were  four  lieutenants  in  the  Chevauleger 
Regiment,  stationed  at  Nuremberg.  These  were 
among  the  first  Teutons  from  whom  he  heard  how 
deeply  Germany  hated  England.  He  heard  for  the 
first  time  (1902)  that  during  the  Boer  War  the 
officers  of  a  certain  English  regiment  had  destroyed 
the  Kaiser's  portrait  in  their  mess-room.  Such  an 
insult  to  unserm  Kaiser,  he  was  told,  could  only  be 
wiped  out  by  rivers  of  English  blood. 

It  has  already  been  pointed  out  that  between  com- 
mon soldiers,  one-year-men,  and  N.C.O.'s,  there  are 
three  distinct  gulfs  which  are  not  intended  to  be 
bridged  over  (military  discipline),  but  these  three 
classes  are  separated  from  commissioned  officers  by 
the  supreme  gulf. 

It  is  an  error  to  suppose  that  all  German  officers 
come  from  aristocratic  families;  in  reality  the  offi- 


lU  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

cers'  corps  is  a  medley  crowd.  The  discretionary 
powers  of  the  colonel  prevent  the  mess-rooms  of 
the  famous  regiments  from  pollution  by  any  bour- 
geois element;  but  the  majority  of  junior  officers  In 
infantry  regiments  are  the  sons  of  lower  middle- 
class  famihes.  After  obtaining  a  captaincy  — 
average  age  40  to  45 — these  men  are  pensioned; 
higher  commands  are  nearly  all  reserved  for  the  sons 
of  ancient  families.  Yet  there  are  two  classes  of 
men  who  never  become  officers  in  the  full  sense  of 
the  word,  i.e.,  Jews  and  N.C.O.'s. 

In  1870  some  of  the  latter  received  commissions 
for  bravery,  but  at  the  conclusion  of  hostilities  were 
pensioned.  A  Jew  has  never  been  honoured  with 
the  Ofpzierspatent,  although  he  may  become  reserve 
officer.  Even  then  he  may  only  hope  for  appoint- 
ment in  the  Train  (siege  artillery). 

Officers  have  a  good  average  education,  and  hav- 
ing donned  the  Kaiserrock,  must  consider  themselves 
beings  apart  from,  and  superior  to,  das  Civil.  After 
leaving  a  State  Secondary  School  an  Intending  officer 
completes  his  education  at  a  cadet  school.  In  due 
course  he  Is  attached  to  a  regiment  as  ensign 
(Fahnrich)  and  finally  blossoms  Into  a  lieutenant. 
Der  hunte  Rock  (the  gay  coat)  Is  able  to  cover  many 
things,  but  It  gives  no  protection  to  military  Ineffi- 
ciency. It  Is  the  supreme  exterior  of  German  life, 
where  exteriors  flourish  in  abundance;  It  Is  the  most 
sacred  fetish  which  commands  the  worship  of  Ger- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  125 

man  hearts.  The  person  within  it  may  be  a  cadet  or 
a  gentleman;  that  is  a  point  of  minor  importance. 
The  law  protects  it  from  all  criticism,  for  it  is  the 
very  symbol  of  Kaiserdom. 

A  newspaper  editor  in  Bamberg,  Bavaria,  pub- 
lished an  article  early  in  19 14,  entitled  der  gross e 
Herr  (the  grand  gentleman),  in  which  he  pilloried 
the  swaggering  presumption  of  officers  —  he  was 
sentenced  to  six  months'  imprisonment. 

The  German  hostess  is  more  gracious  to  officer 
guests  receiving  3s.  6d.  per  day  than  to  merchant 
princes  possessing  huge  incomes.  A  dazzling  lieu- 
tenant is  of  greater  importance  than  the  burgomaster 
of  a  great  city.  The  latter  may  walk  through  the 
streets  unrecognized,  but  every  policeman,  tram- 
conductor,  post  or  railway  official  salutes  an  officer. 
If  a  company  of  soldiers  meets  a  newly-fledged  lieu- 
tenant, an  order  rings  out  and  they  swing  past  with 
the  Paradeschritt.^ 

Tradespeople  who  wish  to  impress  a  new  customer 
whisper  reverently  that  "  die  Herren  Offiziere  kaufen 
bei  uns  ein  "  ("  The  Mr.  Officers  deal  here  ")  ;  the 
restaurant  proprietor  Is  proud  to  mention  the  fact 
that  officers  eat  on  his  premises,  and  the  coffee-house 

^  The  parade-step  (so-called  goose-step)  is  employed  as  a  salute 
or  at  reviews  when  marching  past  the  saluting  point.  The  men 
spend  weeks  in  acquiring  this  perfection  of  mechanical  movement. 
In  November  it  is  a  familiar  scene  when  passing  a  barracks  to 
see  squads  of  men  under  N.C.O.'s  practising  it  singly.  A  march- 
past  in  full  uniform  is  an  imposing  sight  in  the  Fatherland.  The 
Paradeschritt  is  the  Kaiser's  contribution  to  military  science. 


126  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

owner  boasts  that  officers  drink  his  coffee.  It  is 
quite  superfluous  for  the  restaurant-host  to  impart 
this  information ;  other  guests  may  find  it  out  by  pain- 
ful experience  when  the  waiters  have  neglected  their 
orders  a  few  times  in  order  to  give  the  uniform  pride 
of  place.  On  all  occasions,  at  all  times,  the  officer's 
uniform  is  in  the  front  rank,  and  with  very  few  ex- 
ceptions it  is  in  the  very  first  place. 

At  Court  every  one  who  has  the  faintest  right  to 
a  uniform  of  any  kind  appears  in  it;  the  Kaiser  views 
civilian  attire  with  severe  displeasure  —  a  prejudice 
to  which  American  ambassadors  have  not  yet  yielded. 
No  public  function  is  ever  held  but  the  officers  of 
regiments  must  be  invited.  If  an  invitation  were 
not  sent  it  would  be  deemed  an  affront  and  petty 
reprisals  resorted  to;  even  on  speech-days  in  the 
State  Secondary  Schools  der  hunte  Rock  is  in  evi- 
dence, and  the  writer  has  observed  officers  from  the 
local  regiments  peacefully  sleeping  during  the  annual 
address  delivered  by  the  Vice-Chancellor  of  Erlan- 
gen  University. 

The  uniform  has  such  a  hold  on  the  popular 
imagination  that  Germans  feel  there  is  a  lack  of 
solemnity  and  official  sanction  if  das  Offizierskorps  is 
not  represented  where  men  meet  together  with  any 
serious  purpose  —  whether  it  be  to  enjoy  municipal 
bounty  or  to  hear  learned  discourses  on  Bible  re- 
search. Indeed,  if  the  supreme  fetish  of  German 
exteriors  is  not  before  their  eyes,  they  feel  like  the 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  127 

ancient  Jews  In  the  absence  of  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant. 

Nevertheless,  it  would  be  idle  to  deny  certain 
good  qualities  which  make  German  officers  welcome, 
often  charming  guests  In  German  drawing-rooms. 
Above  all  he  possesses  the  surface  polish  of  the 
dancing-master.  He  bows  with  awe-inspiring  defer- 
ence; kisses  a  lady's  hand  when  greeting  her;  his 
deportment  Is  above  criticism  and  yet  his  uniform 
may  cover  a  multitude  of  sins.  Nothing  matters  so 
long  as  he  Is  "  correct  "  and  efficient  in  his  profes- 
sion. As  a  German  once  said  to  the  writer:  "  We 
want  officers,  not  gentlemen,"  and  this  sentence  aptly 
expresses  the  national  attitude.  They  are  Instru- 
ments of  military  discipline,  but  at  the  same  time  are 
subject  to  It  themselves.  Towards  subordinates 
they  are  openly  brutal,  but  In  the  presence  of  su- 
periors, es  wird  gehuckt  und  geduckt  (endless  bow- 
ing and  scraping) .  They  may  violate  civilian  rights 
with  considerable  impunity,  but  any  Infringement  of 
army  laws  would  lead  to  condign  punishment. 

In  the  street  or  public  places  the  officer  swaggers 
with  overbearing  condescension  towards  the  lower 
orders  of  society,  and  Is  ever-ready  to  resent  or 
revenge  any  conduct  In  another  person  which  he 
believes  to  be  derogatory  to  his  own  dignity  —  the 
Kaiser's  honour.  The  most  trifling  provocation  on 
the  part  of  a  civilian  Is  sufficient  cause  for  his  sword 
to  leap  from  its  scabbard. 


128  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Some  years  ago  (about  1905)  a  lieutenant  was 
marching  through  the  streets  of  Nuremberg  at  the 
head  of  a  company  of  infantry.  A  number  of  street 
urchins  amused  themselves  by  marching  in  step  and 
other  youthful  antics,  which  aroused  the  ire  of  this 
gallant  son  of  Mars.  The  lieutenant  drew  his  sword 
and  cut  open  one  of  the  offender's  heads.  A  court- 
martial  decided  that  he  had  only  struck  to  protect  the 
army  from  ridicule  and  sentenced  him  to  a  few  days' 
arrest.  The  people  murmured,  the  Press  reported 
the  case  without  comment,  while  the  Pulpit  main- 
tained a  discreet  silence.  There  is  no  shorter  route 
to  the  inside  of  a  German  prison  than  to  ridicule  or 
criticize  the  great  fetish. 

According  to  German  Ideals  an  officer  stands  for 
all  that  Is  noble,  brave  and  elegant.  Among  the 
better  classes  his  privileges  are  looked  upon  as  merely 
his  due.  Professor  Delbriick,  the  successor  to 
Treitschke,  concludes  an  essay  ^  on  German  officers 
with  these  words :  "  Any  considerable  material 
preference  to  officers  has  not  been  proved.  The 
social  superiority  which  distinguishes  our  officers  Is 
the  necessary  result  of  their  character.  If  any  one 
Is  jealous  of  this,  It  can  only  be  from  vanity  or 
inability  to  understand  the  whole  matter."  The 
writer  willingly  admits  the  "  social  superiority,"  but 
declines  to  believe  that  the  noble  character  of  Ger- 

•"Historichc  und  poHtische  Aufsatze,"  by  Dr.  Hans  Delbruck, 
p.  334. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  129 

many's  super-supermen  has  won  them  the  distinction. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  is  convinced  that  the  respect 
they  enjoy  Is  obtained  and  maintained  by  the  mailed 
fist,  supported  by  the  courts-martial.  As  a  class  they 
lack  true  chivalry,  which  is  the  key-note  of  charac- 
ter. The  record  of  their  dealings  with  German 
women  is  unclean  in  the  extreme,  while  the  treatment 
of  unarmed  civilians  is  a  shameless  betrayal  of  justice 
and  humanity. 

They  enjoy  great  privileges,  possess  extensive  dis- 
cretionary powers,  but  do  not  feel  the  responsibility 
which  such  power  should  inspire;  it  only  feeds  the 
fires  of  vanity  and  innate  conceit;  they  are  '*  oiled 
and  curled  Assyrian  bulls."  Officers'  circles  are  the 
most  exclusive  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  cor- 
rupt.*^  Everything  which  officers  do  is  superior 
(vornehm),  that  which  they  do  not  countenance  is 
taboo  —  including  football. 

A  conflict  with  an  officer  is  something  to  be 
avoided,  and  a  civilian  prefers  to  overlook  an  affront 
rather  than  have  an  open  quarrel.  Should  an  officer 
feel  that  he  has  been  insulted,  he  must  immediately 
report  the  incident  to  his  commanding  officer,  who 
lays  the  matter  before  a  court  of  honour.  The  court 
decides  whether  an  apology  will  suffice,  or  whether 
an  appeal  to  pistols  must  follow;  at  the  latter  game 

^  The  description  of  life  in  the  German  array  presented  in  Lieu- 
tenant Bilse's  book,  "  In  einer  kleinen  Garnison,"  does  not  exag- 
gerate the  reality. 


130  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

it  IS  evident  that  a  civilian  runs  more  risk  of  receiv- 
ing than  giving  a  mortal  wound. 

By  these  refined  methods  the  educated  classes  are 
held  in  thrall,  but  the  means  of  dealing  with  the  man 
In  corduroys  are  more  precise,  even  frankly  brutal. 
A  workman  who  dared  to  show  any  disrespect  to  an 
officer  might  expect  to  be  cut  down  forthwith.  In 
19 10  the  writer  had  a  long  conversation  with  Gen- 
eral von  Rotenhan,  formerly  commander  of  the 
Nuremberg  district.  The  question  of  officers  mak- 
ing use  of  the  sword  was  under  discussion. 

A  hypothetical  case  was  cited.  If  a  drunken  man 
began  a  dispute  with  an  officer  or  made  himself 
obnoxious  so  as  to  cause  a  quarrel  ending  in  the  man 
abusing  the  officer,  what  ought  the  officer  to  do 
according  to  the  military  code  ?  Without  hesitating 
the  general  answered,  "  Mit  der  Waffe  auf  ihn 
losgehen!  "  ("  Go  for  him  with  his  sword  ").  The 
writer  endeavoured  to  make  the  English  point  of 
view  clear,  that  it  Is  neither  gentlemanly  nor  '*  fair 
play  "  for  an  armed  man  to  use  his  weapons  against 
an  unarmed  opponent.  This  the  general  admitted 
was  sehr  schon  (very  nice),  but  it  was  not  the  code 
of  German  officers,  and  added  that  if  an  officer  failed 
to  use  his  sword  effectively  against  a  civilian  who  had 
shown  him  (i.e.,  the  Kaiser)  disrespect,  he  would  be 
forced  to  resign  his  Ojfiziers patent  (commission). 

English  people  were  amazed  at  the  famous  Zabern 
incident,  but  to  the  majority  of  Germans  the  action 
of  the  officer  was  logical  and  correct.     Lieutenant 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  131 

Forster  believed  that  the  lame  cobbler  was  going  to 
strike  him,  therefore  he  struck  first.  For  this  heroic 
deed  a  civil  court  condemned  him  to  six  weeks*  im- 
prisonment; unfortunately  such  a  sentence  has  no 
effect  till  a  military  court  confirms  it.  Before  a 
court-martial  Lieutenant  Forster  could  feel  compara- 
tively safe,  for  his  judges  may  be  comrades,  and  in 
the  worst  case  members  of  the  same  caste,  deter- 
mined to  protect  the  uniform  at  any  cost.  The  ex- 
pected really  happened,  for  the  charge  against 
Forster  was  dismissed  and  the  matter  ended. 

Colonel  von  Reuter,  the  commanding  oflicer  in 
Zabem,  was  also  court-martialled  for  having  ordered 
his  men  to  fire  on  the  civilian  population  before  the 
civil  authorities  had  called  for  military  intervention. 
He  too  was  exonerated,  and  the  Crown  Prince  con- 
gratulated him  by  telegraphing  the  word  "  Bravo !  '* 

Professor  Delbriick,  commenting  on  the  case  in 
his  review,  "das  preussische  Jahrbuch "  (1913), 
wrote :  "  Lieutenant  Forster  has  been  acquitted  by 
the  military  court.  The  plea  of  putative  self- 
defence  was  accepted,  and  the  extension  of  this  Idea 
can  endanger  the  life  of  any  citizen  who  gets  into  a 
quarrel  with  a  soldier.  Colonel  von  Reuter  was  also 
acquitted  because  it  was  assumed  that  he  acted  in 
good  faith;  further,  he  believed  his  measures  to  be 
necessary,  as  the  civil  powers  were  helpless."  Ergo 
—  if  an  oflicer  commits  an  error  involving  the  loss 
of  civilian  lives,  a  plea  of  good  faith  is  sufficient  to 
excuse  the   murder,   and  as   a   consolation  to   the 


132  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

wounded  feelings  of  the  murderer  he  receives  the 
hearty  congratulations  of  the  second  man  in  the 
German  Empire. 

In  concluding  his  article  Delbriick  writes :  "  Both 
the  officers  ought  to  have  been  sentenced  and  then 
pardoned  by  the  Kaiser.  The  military  power  is  so 
great  and  dangerous  that  civilians  must  necessarily 
have  protection  against  its  misuse.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  army  and  State  security  require  that  under 
certain  circumstances  use  may  be  made  of  the  weapon 
without  the  intervention  of  the  civil  authorities.  It 
is  hardly  possible  to  decide  by  legislation  where  this 
right  begins.  It  would  be  easier  if  public  opinion 
had  unlimited  confidence  in  the  military  courts.'* 

No  quotation  in  this  work  better  illustrates  Ger- 
man sophistry  than  these  few  sentences  from  Berlin 
University's  professor  of  history.  Yet  the  proposal 
to  fulfil  the  letter  of  the  law  by  convicting  the  culprits 
and  then  to  violate  the  spirit  of  justice  by  giving 
them  a  free  pardon  is  genuinely  German.  Delbriick 
knows  his  public,  and  is  fully  aware  that  if  only  the 
form  is  observed,  it  will  endure  any  wrong  or  flagrant 
injustice.  Germans  worship  exteriors  and  these  alone. 

For  over  eight  months  the  world  has  seen  Ger- 
many's vast  military  mechanism  in  motion.  So  far  as 
a  mere  civilian  can  judge,  the  machine  has  developed 
all  the  efficiency  which  was  expected  of  it.  The  bru- 
tal methods  and  atrocities  have  surprised  only  those 
who  did  not  know  Germany  and  the  Germans.  It  is 
none  the  less  deplorable  that  the  German  nation  has 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  133 

made  her  army  the  be-all  and  end-all  of  national 
existence  —  deplorable  for  herself  and  the  world. 

Still,  in  their  present  state  of  development,  Ger- 
man citizens  are  admirably  suited  to  military  pur- 
poses. They  love  discipline,  and  the  spectacular 
side  of  militarism  appeals  irresistibly  to  their  warlike 
instincts.  At  the  present  moment  the  writer  has  in 
his  mind's  eye  an  old  German  professor  who  could 
not  sit  at  his  study  table  when  a  company  of  soldiers 
marched  past  his  house.  Militarism  flows  in  every 
German's  blood;  the  children  prefer  playing  soldiers 
to  any  other  game.  Souvenirs  of  barrack  life  are 
cherished  in  every  home.  The  old  men  are  mem- 
bers of  Kriegervereine,  Veteranenvereiney  or  some 
other  society  where  old  soldiers  drink  their  beer  on 
Saturday  evenings  and  discuss  reminiscences  of  army 
life.  When  a  member  of  such  a  society  dies,  his 
comrades  accompany  him  with  music  to  his  last 
resting-place,  the  club  banner  Is  waved  three  times 
over  his  coffin  in  token  of  farewell,  and  amid  the  fir- 
ing of  miniature  cannon  he  sinks  Into  his  narrow  cell. 

Militarism  Is  to  the  German  mind  a  great,  heroic 
science;  the  consummation  of  human  greatness,  de- 
mand and  worthy  of  every  sacrifice  —  even  life  itself. 
In  return  for  his  sacrifices  the  German  has  oppres- 
sion in  the  place  of  freedom,  shams  and  baubles  for 
realities.  But,  all  in  all,  he  is  content  with  his  bar- 
gain, which  goes  to  show  that  the  whole  system  Is 
suitable  to,  and  possible  In,  his  stage  of  civilization.^ 

8  For  Crime  Statistics  of  the  German  Army,  'vide  Appendix  I. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  GERMS  OF  AGGRESSION  FROM  KANT  TO 
NIETZSCHE 

OUARRELSOME  aggressiveness  is  innate  in 
German  character,  a  statement  amply  proved 
by  her  history  and  her  modern  everyday  life.  The 
robber  knights  of  medieval  times  afford  ample  evi- 
dence of  uncompromising  hate  and  love  of  destruc- 
tion,^ virtues  which  the  process  of  the  centuries  has 
only  succeeded  in  diverting  into  other  channels. 

The  very  development  of  the  twenty-odd  German 
States,  which  have  been  united  and  dissolved, 
grouped  and  regrouped  till  Bismarck  succeeded  in 
1 87 1  in  founding  the  conglomerate  Germanic  Em- 
pire of  to-day,  all  goes  to  illustrate  the  truculent 
aggression  of  the  Teutonic  race;  brute  force  being 
always  the  determining  factor. 

After  the  Reformation  had  established  itself  in 
Northern  Europe  there  was  none  of  the  Protestant 
States  where  so  much  bitter  abusive  polemic  followed 
as  was  the  case  for  a  century  in  Germany  before  the 
Thirty  Years'  War,  while  in  no  other  land  did  the 
religious  disputes  lead  to  so  cruel  and  bloody  a  strug- 

iThe  robber  knights  of  the  Middle  Ages  illustrate  admirably 
NietzscheaD   principles   of   the   superman. 

134 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  135 

gle  as  that  which  tore  Germany  from  end  to  end 
during  the  period  1 618-1648. 

Even  in  the  twentieth  century  the  two  great  camps 
of  the  Christian  church  are  still  alertly  "  on  guard  " 
and  view  each  other's  successes  in  the  political  world 
with  undisguised  envy  and  intolerance.  The  same 
intriguing  continues  to  place  Protestant  or  Catholic 
into  the  headships  of  State  Secondary  Schools, 
mayorships  and  all  other  public  appointments  from 
chimney-sweep  ^  to  cabinet  minister.  Promotion  in 
the  public  services  depends  largely  on  the  man's  re- 
ligion, i.e,,  whether  his  faith  coincides  with  that  of 
the  powers-that-be  in  his  district  and  province. 

That  the  German  State  is  aware  of  the  intolerance 
and  quarrelsome  vindictiveness  which  characterize 
its  constituent  units  is  evident  in  the  punishments 
meted  out  in  the  Penal  Code  for  all  sorts  of  ridiculous 
offences,  which  every  other  civilized  power  ignores, 
leaving  them  to  the  common  sense  of  the  majority 
and  the  feelings  of  decency  in  a  nation.  These 
virtues  are  the  result  of  growth,  not  legislation,  and 
the  mere  fact  that  police  rules  are  necessary  to  pro- 
cure ordinary  tolerant  behaviour  among  the  vast 
masses  of  the  nation  is  sufficient  comment  on  Ger- 
many's culture. 

We  find  a  fund  of  humour  in  the  grumpy  indi- 
vidual occupying  the  corner  seat  who  insists  on  the 

2  Sweeps  are  appointed  to  each  rural  district  by  the  Town 
Council.  Men,  when  applying,  must  answer  the  eternal  question, 
"  What  is  your  religion  ?  " 


136  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

window  being  kept  shut.  The  German  State  deco- 
rates its  railway  carriages  with  notices  which  anni- 
hilate "  the  man  in  the  corner."  A  simple  regulation 
states  that  no  window  may  be  opened  unless  every- 
body in  the  carriage  is  agreed.  Considering  that 
each  German  third  class  carriage  contains  about  six 
open,  connected  compartments  seating  about  fifty 
persons,  an  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  impossibility 
of  persuading  so  many  Teutons  to  agree  on  so  small 
a  point,  yet  one  and  all  will  give  unquestioning 
obedience  to  the  police  rule  on  the  wall. 

Order,  peace  and  discipline  are  all  obtained  from 
without  —  seldom  from  within  the  individual's 
breast.  But  the  authorities  know  that  this  is  the  only 
means  by  which  the  railway  carriage  is  preserved  from 
scenes  of  bloodthirsty  conflicts  such  as  so  often  occur 
In  the  freer  atmosphere  of  German  beer-gardens. 

Statistics  given  on  another  page  show  that  in  spite 
of  the  policeman's  heavy  heel  nearly  three  hundred 
thousand  quarrels  more  or  less  violent  have  to  be 
arranged  by  German  courts  of  justice  annually.  The 
average  German  only  respects  other  people's  rights 
and  susceptibilities  just  so  far  as  the  law,  plus  the 
policeman's  sword  and  revolver,  compels  him  to  do 
so.  He  is  ever  on  the  qui  vive  to  assert  himself 
{sich  geltend  machen)^  and  more  often  than  not  col- 
lides with  another,  who  is  out  on  the  same  mission 
of  culture. 

In  spite  of  police  laws  and  a  systematized  penal 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  137 

code  of  so  many  numbered  paragraphs,  forbidding 
everything  from  crime  down  to  offences  against 
good  form,  Germany  is  still  the  classic  land  of  the 
'*  freed  ego.'*  German  philosophy  has  various 
clumsy  epithets  to  define  this  license,  such  as  das 
befreite  Ich,  das  losgerissene  Ich.^  Immanuel  Kant 
is  the  apostle  of  this  deliverance ;  the  whole  trend  of 
his  system  Is  the  freeing  of  the  human  mind,  or  ego, 
from  the  trammels  of  tradition  and  custom. 

Above  all,  the  homage  demanded  by  and  paid  to 
traditional  religion,  cramped  the  ego,  therefore  It  is 
inimical  to  true  intellectual  progress.  Kant  taught, 
and  his  doctrine  finds  general  acceptance  In  educated 
Germany,  that  mental  growth  during  preceding  ages 
had  been  along  wrong  lines. 

The  suzerainty  of  the  Church  had  warped,  con- 
fined and  misdirected  the  development  of  human 
thought,  wherefore  a  new  beginning  must  be  made, 
tradition  broken  with,  and  the  Intellectual  spark  led 
back  to  its  true  course  as  the  entirely  independent, 
delivered,  critical  ego. 

One  contemporary,  the  philosopher  of  sentiment, 
F.  H.  Jacobi,  bemoaned  the  fact  that  Kant  had  only 
permitted  the  world  to  consist  of  ego,  while  another, 
the  heroic  Fichte,  gladly  seized  upon  this  subjective 
Idealism  and  built  upon  It  his  "  WIssenschaftslehre  " 
(1794).     As  the  philosopher  of  liberty  he  recog- 

3  The  "  delivered  ego "  or  "  the  ego  torn  loose."    Terms  which 
came  into  vogue  during  the  early  part  of  the  last  century. 


138  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

nized  not  *'  being  "  but  only  ''  doing  " —  action.  In 
his  system  he  endeavours  to  explain  everything  from 
the  development  of  the  ego,  while  all  else  is  mere 
nature  (Nicht-Ich)  or  non-ego.  The  boldness  and 
moral  force  with  which  he  laid  down  these  principles 
were  not  without  effect  on  his  Jena  pupils,  while 
without  doubt  Schelling's  natural  and  Hegel's  mental 
philosophy  both  grew  out  of  Fichte's  "  Wissen- 
schaftslehre."  During  Schelllng's  Jena  period  all 
his  work  was  an  endeavour  to  prove  the  identity  of 
mind  and  nature  {Ich  and  Nicht-Ich) . 

The  whole  of  the  Romantic  movement  in  Germany 
occupied  itself  with  the  problem  of  the  ego  —  prin- 
cipally its  pathological  phenomena.  It  is  instructive 
too,  that  of  all  English  writers  in  the  nineteenth 
century,  no  other  appealed  so  forcibly  to  the  German 
mind,  and  no  other  holds  a  higher  place  to-day  in  the 
estimation  of  modern  Germany  than  Lord  Byron 
with  his  morbid  egoism. 

It  was  left,  however,  to  a  layman  to  propound 
further  the  licence  of  egoism.^  The  writer  in  ques- 
tion is  well  known  in  modern  Germany,  but  his  name 
is  seldom  heard  in  England.  Stirner  was  the  first  to 
claim,  categorically,  unlimited  rights  of  self-assertion 
for  the  individual.  He  laughs  to  scorn  the  "  thing  '' 
for  itself;  everything  which,  up  till  then,  had  been 
held  sacred  in  religion,  morality  and  justice  he  de- 

*"Der  Einzelne  und  sein  Eigenthum "  ("The  Individual  and 
his  Possessions"),  by  Max  Stirner.    Published  at  Leipzig,  1845. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  139 

clared  to  be  idee  fixe.  One  quotation  from  his  work 
will  suffice  to  illustrate  his  position,  as  a  develop- 
ment of  what  had  gone  before  and  as  a  forerunner 
of  his  great  successor,  Friedrich  Nietzsche. 

"  Justice  is  a  crack-brained  idea,  invented  and 
foisted  on  to  the  world  by  a  phantom.  It  is  of  no 
importance  to  me  whether  an  action  is  just  or  unjust. 
If  I  am  powerful  enough  to  perform  any  deed  what- 
soever, then  eo  ipso  I  am  justified  in  doing  it.  I  am 
empowered  by  myself  and  require  no  other  author- 
ization or  justification.  Power!  that  am  I  alone. 
I  am  the  mighty  one,  the  possessor  of  power.  Might 
and  force  exist  only  in  me  —  the  strong  and  mighty 
one.'' 

Here,  in  brief,  we  have  the  seed  of  Grossenwahn 
(swelled-head)  —  the  peculiar  form  of  diseased  ego- 
ism from  which  the  whole  German  nation  suffers. 
This  is  the  Leitmotif,  which  runs  through  the  vast 
literature  of  German  aggression,  whether  it  advocates 
militarism,  naval  or  colonial  expansion,  but  above 
all  in  the  special  section  proceeding  from  Pan-Ger- 
man authors.  The  author  has  before  him  a  modern 
history  of  philosophy,^  which  states  Max  Stirner's 
teachings  in  a  concise  form. 

"  I  alone  am  the  creator  of  myself  and  all  things. 
I  do  not  trouble  about  anything;  seeing  that  I  am 

5  "  Die  Philosophic  im  zweiten  Drittel  des  neunzehnten  Jahrhun- 
derts,"  by  Arthur  Drews,  Professor  of  Philosophy  at  the  Technical 
University,  Karlsruhe.    Published  in  191 3  at  Leipzig. 


140  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

a  perishable  being,  I  am  nothing  and  this  is  proved 
by  my  death.  Seeing  that  everything  is  only  my 
creation,  I  am  the  only  one''  {der  Einzige),  "the 
only  original  and  real  being;  then  I  am  also  the 
possessor  of  all  things.  The  world  is  my  property 
and  as  the  *  only  one  '  I  have  the  right  to  do  with  it 
as  I  like,  and  use  it  according  to  my  will.  I  am  the 
sole  standard  and  determiner  of  values,  therefore 
all  my  decisions  are  made  on  purely  egoistic  grounds. 
Motives  which  are  not  egoistic  are  all  idees  fixes  with 
which  I  have  been  unjustly  inoculated  during  child- 
hood. Not  only  the  conceptions  of  morality  and 
God  belong  to  the  category  of  fixed  ideas,  but  also 
those  of  the  State,  society,  humanity,  but  above  all 
the  idea  of  truth  or  impersonal  reason  "  {unperson- 
liche  Vernunft) ,  "  for  there  is  only  personal  reason 
and  that  is  embodied  in  me.  Truth  —  co-called  — 
is  merely  a  creation  of  mine  just  as  everything  else. 
My  world  of  thought  is  governed  by  me  according 
to  my  taste,  and  is  only  the  constant  production  or 
suspension  of  my  thoughts.  Feuerbach's  ideal  man 
is  just  another  such  phantom  as  the  God  of  the  ortho- 
dox; the  idea  of  humanity  and  universal  love  is  a  last 
rest  of  the  God-idea.  He  who  sets  up  ideals  or  joins 
himself  to  any  community  whatever,  is  religious  but 
not  reasonable.  He  has,  as  Stirner  expresses  it,  a 
crack-brained  idea  {Sparren)^ 

"  The  Individual  has  no  other  law  than  to  live 
according  to  the  dictates  of  his  free  will;  that  is  the 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  141 

basis  of  Stirner's  '  personalism.'  From  this  point  of 
view  he  has  respect  for  nothing,  neither  for  the  ma- 
terial nor  intellectual  possessions  of  another,  neither 
for  his  life  nor  that  which  the  other  holds  sacred, — 
his  religion,  convictions,  honour,  etc.  He  does  not 
shrink  from  perjury  or  even  the  vilest  atrocities,  if 
they  gratify  him  or  serve  his  well-being.  Love, 
friendship  and  trust  are  all  humbug.  He  rejects 
every  kind  of  communism  just  as  frankly  as  altruism. 
His  personal  anarchy  and  nihilism  are  only  abstract 
possibilities  which  could  not  be  realized  in  practice." 

"  In  respect  to  theory  he  is  a  solecism  pure  and 
simple,  although  Stirner  does  not  admit  this,  as  he 
does  not  scruple  to  ascribe  the  same  actuality  to  other 
egos.  Egoism  is  the  only  logical  attitude  for  the 
ego  in  regard  to  its  originality  and  independence." 

"  The  philosophic  value  of  Stirner's  work  consists 
in  having  asserted  and  defended  this  doctrine  in 
detail.  And  no  matter  how  disagreeable  his  brutal 
candour  may  be,  it  still  remains  true  that  Stirner, 
with  his  explanation  of  the  motives  of  human  action, 
is  throughout  in  the  right."  ^ 

It  is  instructive  to  note  at  this  point  that  during 
the  period  In  which  Dickens,  KIngsley,  Tom  Hood 
and  their  school  were  teaching  humanitarianism,  and 
England's  foremost  thinkers  had  Inscribed  Jeremy 
Bentham's  motto  on  their  banner  — "  the  greatest 
happiness     to     the     greatest     number " —  German 

®  Professor  Drews,  oni  pages  24-5  of  the  work  previously  named. 


14.^  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

thought  remained  introspective,  occupying  itself  with 
Itself,  thereby  missing  the  joy  of  life  which  found 
magnificent  expression  In  other  literatures.  Ger- 
many was  already  committed  to  egoism,  while  Eng- 
land unfurled  the  banner  of  humanity;  and  this 
serves  to  Illustrate  the  present  writer's  contention 
that  the  national  Ideals,  bases  of  belief,  motives  of 
action  accepted  by  the  two  nations  are  fundamentally 
different. 

Dickens,  together  with  others  of  his  school,  have 
had  both  admirers  and  Imitators  In  Germany;  but 
In  the  whole  range  of  German  literature  there  Is  no 
writer  who  stands  out  as  a  supreme  lover  of  human- 
ity. That  literature  contains  no  "  Song  of  a  Shirt," 
no  "  Bridge  of  Sighs,"  nor  even  a  "  Cry  of  the  Chil- 
dren." On  the  other  hand.  It  contains  innumerable 
outpourings  of  Weltschmerz,  Sturm  und  Dran^,  to- 
gether with  the  personal  woes  of  a  hundred  Wer- 
thers.  English  romanticism  merged  into  a  humani- 
tarian movement  —  a  joyous  altruism,  while  Ger- 
many has  never  freed  herself  from  the  "  subjective 
Idealism  "  Introduced  by  the  sage  of  Koenlgsberg. 
All  in  all,  German  literature  for  more  than  a  century 
has  reflected  little  else  but  "  self,"  and  not  satisfied 
with  her  own  over-production,  she  has  adopted  the 
groans,  moans  and  sighs  of  Byronism. 

But  not  only  has  Byron's  morbid  self-consciousness 
found  a  welcome  In  the  German  heart.  Another 
and  greater  Englishman  has  been  taken  into  the 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  143 

Teutonic  bosom,  viz.,  Charles  Darwin.  The 
"  struggle  for  existence "  and  "  survival  of  the 
fittest  "  in  the  economy  of  nature  are  principles  which 
appeal  Irresistibly  to  the  strife-Instincts  of  German 
character.  Yet  German  thinkers  are  wrong  In  tak- 
ing the  struggle  for  existence  —  as  It  undoubtedly 
goes  on  In  the  natural  world  —  and  applying  it  In  all 
its  rude  brutality  to  human  affairs.  They  have  en- 
tirely overlooked  the  greatest  lesson  of  human  his- 
tory, that  progress  has  been  In  the  direction  towards 
the  elimination  of  brute  force  as  a  court  of  appeal. 

The  philosopher  who  has  most  influenced  the 
imagination  of  modern  Germany  has  been  the  one 
who  taught  that  all  differences  must  be  settled,  and 
all  true  progress  achieved,  by  the  methods  In  vogue 
among  the  monsters  of  antediluvian  times.  But  in 
all  this  Friedrich  Nietzsche  overlooked  the  fact  that 
his  teaching  Is  only  an  illustration  of  reversion  to 
type. 

Nietzsche's  ancestors  had  settled  in  Germany  In 
the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  It  Is 
alleged  that  his  ancestor  had  at  that  time  renounced 
his  Polish  title  of  Graf  (Count)  ;  in  any  case, 
Nietzsche  revealed  unlimited  pride  in  his  noble 
origin  —  a  pride  which  may  be  compared  to  Byron's 
pride  of  ancestry.  He  was  born  in  1845  ^^  Rocken, 
a  village  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Liitzen,  but  on 
the  death  of  his  father  —  a  pastor  in  the  Lutheran 
church  —  the  family  settled  in  Schulpforta,  where 


144  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

young  Nietzsche  attended  a  classical  schools  He  Is 
said  to  have  shown  an  antipathy  to  religion  quite  early 
in  life,  although  Deussen  relates  that  when  Nietzsche 
was  confirmed  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  displayed 
a  *'  holy  mood  "  before  and  after  the  ceremony. 

Having  obtained  his  Reifezeugnis  ^  he  spent  a 
happy  time  in  visiting  the  Rhine  with  his  friend. 
This  "  joyous  journey  "  of  wine  and  serenades  led 
them  to  Bonn,  where  they  entered  their  names  as 
students  at  the  university.  In  a  moment  of  enthusi- 
asm he  joined  the  students'  corporation,  Franconia, 
and  went  in  for  the  usual  duelling  and  beer-drinking 
of  German  university  life.  He  seems,  however,  to 
have  been  disgusted  with  the  atmosphere  of  brutality 
which  characterizes  these  corporations,  especially  the 
Biermaterialismus,  which  induced  him  to  sever  his 
connection  with  the  Franconia. 

Among  his  fellow-students  he  was  considered  a 
queer  fellow  (sonderbare  Kauze) ,  During  his 
twelve  months  in  Bonn  he  composed  music  to  Byron's 
*'  Manfred,"  a  work  which  was  not  completed.  On 
account  of  his  short-sight  Nietzsche  hoped  to  be 
excused  from  military  service  —  a  hope  which  was 
not  realized,  for  he  passed  and  left  the  university  in 
1867  to  enter  the  4th  Field  Artillery  Regiment  in 

7  The  sources  of  information  concerning  Nietzsche's  life  are  lim- 
ited, the  principal  ones  being:  "Das  Leben  Friedrich  Nietzsche's," 
written  by  his  sister,  Elisabeth  Foerster;  and  a  work  written  by 
his  school  and  university  friend,  Deussen,  who  afterwards  became 
professor  of  philosophy  at  Kiel  University. 

8  The  certificate  granted  by  German  secondary  schools  which 
admits  its  owner  to  the  university. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  145 

Naumburg.  Only  two  months  after  joining  the 
army,  an  accident  in  mounting  a  horse  incapacitated 
him  for  the  remainder  of  his  year's  military  service. 

In  order  to  continue  his  academic  studies, 
Nietzsche  proceeded  to  Leipzig,  and  while  preparing 
for  his  degree  (doctor  philosophic)  received  a  most 
unexpected  invitation  to  the  chair  of  classical  philol- 
ogy in  Bale  University  in  1869.  A  year  later  war 
broke  out  between  France  and  Germany,  and 
Nietzsche  asked  permission  from  the  Swiss  govern- 
ment to  volunteer  for  active  service;  a  request  which 
was  refused  for  reasons  of  neutrality,  although  the 
Swiss  authorities  allowed  him  to  volunteer  for 
ambulance  work.  After  a  period  of  training  in 
Erlangen,  he  went  to  the  battlefields  of  France  and 
brought  back  wounded  to  Erlangen,  only  to  become 
seriously  ill  himself.  From  that  time  till  his  death 
Nietzsche  was  never  free  from  illness,  which  was  the 
reason  for  resigning  his  professorship  in  1879. 

At  first  his  works  do  not  seem  to  have  attracted 
friends  or  to  have  raised  him  In  public  esteem,  but 
the  tide  turned  when  George  Brandes  held  a  course 
of  lectures  on  his  philosophy  at  Copenhagen  In  1888. 
Nietzsche  was  overjoyed  to  learn  that  the  lecture-hall 
was  zum  Bersten  voll  of  eager  hearers.  From  that 
date  he  became  a  stock  subject  at  all  universities  In 
German-speaking  countries  —  a  development  which 
met  with  criticism  and  condemnation  ^  from  healthy- 

^  Vide    Nordau's    work    on    " Entartungen "     ("Reversions    to 
type"),  Vol.  II.,  p.  360.     "University  teachers  hold  pass  lectures 


146  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

minded  men.  Yet  in  spite  of  hostility  in  ecclesiasti- 
cal circles  Nietzsche's  epigrams  and  phrases  became 
part  and  parcel  of  the  popular  language,  though  not 
always  In  their  original  sense.  Such  conceptions  as 
those  embodied  In  the  terms  superman  and  Herren- 
moral  fell  on  suitable  soil. 

During  a  visit  to  Italy  In  1889  he  had  a  paralytic 
stroke  In  the  streets  of  Turin,  the  beginning  of  the 
long-drawn-out  end,  which  came  eleven  years  later. 
But  before  the  dark  night  of  madness  closed  over  his 
intellect  for  ever,  Nietzsche  was  called  upon  to  feel 
some  of  the  gall  and  bitterness  concealed  In  his  own 
poisonous  teachings. 

He  writes :  '^^  "  Although  I  am  in  my  forty-fifth 
year,  and  have  published  fifteen  books  (one  of  them 
a  ne  plus  ultra  — "Zarathustra  ") ,  I  am  alone,  ridicu- 
lously alone  in  Germany.  There  has  not  been  a 
single  moderately  respectful  review  of  even  one  of 
my  books.  Now  they  excuse  me  as  being  eccentric, 
pathological,  mad.  Evil  and  slanderous  attacks  are 
not  lacking.  A  tone  of  unrestrained  hostility  pre- 
vails In  the  periodicals  —  learned  and  unlearned. 
But  how  Is  it,  that  no  one  ever  protests  against  It? 
Nobody  feels  hurt,  when  I  am  abused.  And  for 
years  no  comfort,  no  drop  of  humanity  —  not  a 
breath  of  love." 

on  the  verbiage  of  a  madman.     They  deserve  contempt  for  being 
unable  to  distinguish  between  clear,  logical  thinking,  and  the  dis- 
connected imaginings  of  a  raving  maniac." 
10"  Brief e,"  I.,  p.  496. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  •  147 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Nietzsche  identified 
himself  more  or  less  with  his  overman  type :  "  If 
there  are  gods,  how  could  I  exist  without  being 
one !  "  In  the  last  months  before  Nemesis  overtook 
him,  he  generally  signed  his  letters  either  "  Diony- 
sius  "  or  ''  The  Crucified  One."  The  pitiless  one 
became  only  too  truly  the  object  of  a  very  general 
and  special  pity.  As  If  to  complete  the  irony  of  fate 
his  death  occurred  on  the  anniversary  of  Christ's 
birth  (December  25th,  1900).  He  was  buried  next 
to  his  parents  in  the  little  churchyard  at  Rocken  — 
without  any  religious  ceremony,  and  a  Leipzig  pro- 
fessor wrote  in  1903  :  "  It  was  an  inspiring  moment 
when  a  young  German  student  stepped  to  the  grave- 
side in  order  to  utter  a  few  touching  words  of  thanks 
in  the  name  of  German  youth.'*  Another  tribute 
may  be  found  in  the  lectures  on  Nietzsche  delivered 
at  Strasbourg  University  by  Professor  Ziegler.^^ 

The  latter's  apology  for  Nietzsche's  life  and  works 
is  the  same  that  has  been  advanced  in  favour  of  Lord 
Byron  —  the  absence  of  a  stern  father's  influence 
during  his  formative  years.  Ziegler  concludes  his 
lectures  with  the  words:  "His  end  is  so  sad  and 
tragic  that  Hamlet's  (sic)  words  come  involuntarily 
to  our  lips :  *  Oh,  what  a  noble  mind  is  here  o'er- 
thrown!  '  " 

Nietzsche's  teaching  of  the  will  to  power  is  a 

11  "  Fried  rich  Nietzsche,"  by  Dr.  T.  Ziegler,  Professor  of  Phi- 
losophy in  Strasbourg  University. 


148  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

doctrine  composed  almost  mechanically  by  mixing 
together  the  doctrines  of  Darwin  and  Schopenhauer. 
The  will  is  derived  from  the  latter,  the  struggle  from 
the  former  —  only  not  as  a  struggle  for  existence. 
Darwin  had  the  past,  Nietzsche  the  future  of  man- 
kind in  his  mind.  According  to  the  one,  man  has 
evolved  from  the  monkey,  and  from  man  the  other 
seeks  to  evolve  the  Uehermensch}^  At  least  three 
Interpretations  of  the  idea  are  possible,  viz.:  (i) 
a  higher  species;  (2)  a  new  nobility;  (3)  the  peer- 
less genius.  In  "  Zarathustra  "  the  prevailing  idea 
IS  that  of  a  higher  species;  gods  evolved  from  men. 
Nietzsche  employs  the  term  Gottmensch  occasionally, 
instead  of  Uehermensch;  but  in  a  later  work,  "  Anti- 
christ," he  writes :  "  Man  is  the  end  of  the  chain. 
The  problem  which  I  present  herewith,  is  not  what 
being  shall  spring  from  mankind  In  evolutionary  suc- 
cession, but  which  type  of  man  we  ought  to  select; 
ought  to  will  as  the  higher,  more  desirable,  more 
future-certain."  Here  the  conception  Is  still  human, 
but  In  "  Zarathustra  "  the  superman  Is  more  than 

12  Nietzsche  did  not  originate  the  term  Uehermensch  or  overraa\n. 

It  had  already  been  employed  by  Goethe,  and  probably  before  him. 

The  following  lines  from  Faust  show  that  Goethe  was  familiar 

with  the  conception: 

"  Und  was  der  ganzen  Menschhelt  zugetheilt  ist, 
Will   ich  in  meinem  innern   Selbst  geniessen, 
Mit  meinem  Geist  das  Hochst  und  Tiefste  greifen, 
Ihr  Wohl  und  Weh  auf  meinen  Busen  haufen, 
Und  so  mein  eigen  Selbst  zu  ihrem  Selbst  erweitern, 
Und  wie  sie  selbst,  am  End  auch  ich  zerscheitern." 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  149 

human,  indeed,  he  Is  a  sort  of  Darwinian  phophecy. 

Whatever  the  interpretation,  however,  Nietzsche 
does  not  seek  to  eliminate  the  weak,  the  crowd. 
They  arouse  his  contempt;  the  only  justification  for 
their  existence  is  that  they  are  necessary  for  the 
strong.  The  supermen  create  their  own  morality 
by  willing  it;  their  power  by  self-assertion.  They 
determine  what  is  good  —  noble,  lofty  and  powerful 
In  contrast  to  bad  —  cowardly  and  common. 
Thereby  they  have  only  to  think  of  themselves,  and 
of  others  only  in  so  far  as  the  masses  serve  their 
ends.  Thus  his  moral  philosophy  is  anti-altruistic, 
indeed  a  morality  of  self,  a  veritable  self-cult.  In 
opposition  to  sophists  and  priests,  who  in  all  times 
have  played  havoc  with  "  self-breeding "  (Selb- 
stzucht),  Nietzsche  proclaims  egoism  to  be  salva- 
tion, and  blesses  the  doctrine  of  inconsiderate  self- 
assertion.  He  declares  that  "  an  altruistic  morality 
in  which  the  ego  and  Its  self-selection  is  restrained, 
is  in  any  case  an  evil,  blighting  morality  and  a  bad 
symptom  for  the  times  In  which  it  prevails." 

Enghsh  morality  was  and  is  utilitarian,  not  for  the 
profit  of  the  individual  ego,  however,  but  for  the 
welfare  of  the  totality,  "  the  greatest  happiness  of 
the  greatest  number,"  or,  as  Professor  Zlegler  writes, 
"  English  morality  has  been  altruistic  throughout "; 
a  system  which  Nietzsche  described  as  "  slave-moral- 
ity," or  one  In  which  the  Interests  of  the  commonalty 
are  considered  and  protected,  or,  to  use  the  Darwin- 


150  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

ian  term,  "  selected."  There  is  no  morality  for  all, 
says  Nietzsche;  it  serves  either  the  slaves  {i.e.,  the 
masses)  or  the  masters  —  the  supermen.  There- 
fore down  with  English  utilitarianism,  which  is  slave 
morality;  the  chosen  ones,  the  noble  and  powerful, 
must  force  their  will  upon  all,  and  accomplish  them- 
selves. In  a  word,  that  is  Herrenmoral,  the  moral- 
ity which  permits  the  superman  every  license  in 
asserting  himself,  incidentally  sacrificing  all  other 
individuals  and  their  rights  to  further  his  "  selection." 
The  overman  is  Nietzsche's  idea  of  the  fittest,  and 
his  **  superman  morality,"  the  system  and  process  of 
selection  best  calculated  to  produce  that  type. 
Herrenmoral  is  egoism,  Sklavenmoral  is  altruism. 

From  these  premises  it  is  easy  to  see  why  Nietzsche 
was  an  inveterate  enemy  to  Christianity.  Christ's 
fundamental  teachings  are  based  upon  "  Thy  will  be 
done,"  while  the  mad  philosopher  proclaims  "  my 
will  at  all  costs."  The  Son  of  Man  sacrificed  him- 
self for  the  world,  but  the  superman  may  sacrifice  the 
world  for  his  good.  Christianity  is  self-abnegatibn, 
Nietzscheanism,  self-assertion  and  glorification. 
Nietzsche's  most  violent  gibes  at  Christianity  were  in- 
spired by  what  he  deemed  to  be  its  will-laming  influ- 
ence —  its  anti-egoism.  How  far  this  poison  has 
permeated  modern  Germany  will  be  seen  in  other 
chapters  on  German  life  and  institutions,  but  in  this 
place  it  is  desirable  to  state  Nietzsche's  attitude  to 
woman  —  the  weaker.     She  serves  no  higher  mission 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  151 

than  that  of  a  plaything  for,  and  a  breeder  of  the 
superman.  In  "  Zarathustra "  he  writes:  "A 
man  of  depth  can  only  think  of  women  in  an  oriental 
manner,  as  a  piece  of  goods  which  he  can  put  under 
lock  and  key."  Or  in  another  place:  "You  are 
going  among  women?  Then  do  not  forget  to  take 
a  whip.'^ 

His  opinion  of  war  at  the  present  moment  is  not 
without  interest.  "  It  is  idle  dreaming  to  expect 
much,  or  anything  at  all  from  mankind,  when  they 
have  forgotten  how  to  make  war.  For  the  present 
we  know  no  other  means  by  which  drowsy,  decaying 
nations  can  be  effectively  aroused,  except  by  those 
found  in  the  rude  energy  of  the  battlefield;  that  deep 
impersonal  hate;  that  cold-blooded  murdering  with 
a  clear  conscience ;  that  common,  organized,  passion- 
ate joy  in  the  annihilation  of  the  enemy;  that  proud 
indifference  to  great  losses,  to  one's  own  existence 
and  that  of  one's  friends;  that  deep  earthquake-like 
shock  to  the  soul  which  every  great  war  produces. 
Just  such  a  highly  cultured,  and  therefore  of  a  neces- 
sity, languid  people,  as  that  of  modern  Europe,  re- 
quires not  only  wars,  but  the  greatest  and  most  awful 
of  wars  —  that  is  to  say  occasional  lapses  into  bar- 
barism —  in  order  that  they  may  not  lose  their  cul- 
ture and  existence,  in  the  means  of  culture." 

Besides  the  published  sources  for  Nietzsche's 
biography  there  Is  another  unpublished  one.  Dur- 
ing his  lifetime  the  philosopher  wrote  an  autobiog- 


152  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

raphy  entitled  "  Ecce  Homo  " ;  his  sister  has  pub- 
lished a  private  edition  of  it,  but  no  copies  are 
available.  An  excellent  review  of  it  appeared  in 
"Das  preussische  Jahrbuch  "  for  1909.  Nietzsche 
repeatedly  exclaimed :  "  When  *  Ecce  Homo  '  is 
published,  I  shall  be  the  greatest  man  in  the  world !  " 
The  work  in  question  is  a  record  of  disease  egoism. 
Its  reviewer  was  evidently  no  admirer  of  Nietzsche, 
for  he  states  that  in  "  Ecce  Homo  ''  its  author  lies 
himself  up  to  the  level  of  deity.  Nietzsche  believed 
in  the  reality  of  his  ideal  '^  Zarathustra,"  and  under 
a  strong  inclination  to  self-deification  the  last  mask 
falls  away,  the  "  sovereign  ego  "  breaks  through  the 
last  restraining  instincts  and  lives  under  the  dictates 
of  free  will.  In  no  measured  terms  the  reviewer 
condemns  Nietzsche  to  oblivion,  at  the  same  time 
admitting  his  teachings  to  be  poison  of  the  worst 
kind.  "  But  is  such  an  anarchist,  who  lies  himself 
upwards  to  be  a  god,  a  teacher  of  humanity? 
Among  all  the  thousands  of  his  readers  are  there 
even  three,  who  are  capable  of  distilling  any  good 
from  such  destructive  explosives  ?  *  Ecce  Homo ' 
will  cause  many  to  open  their  eyes,  who  up  till  now 
have  kept  them  closed  in  devout  worship." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

TREITSCHKE PROPHET   AND    HISTORIAN 

NIETZSCHE  alone  could  never  have  become 
the  inspirer  of  Germany's  national  effort  to 
obtain  world  domination;  his  teachings  would  prob- 
ably have  worked  towards  disintegration,  unless  some 
other  force  had  neutralized  them  or  his  theories  had 
received  a  more  general  application.  The  man  des- 
tined to  raise  Nietzsche's  individual  aggression  to  a 
higher  plane,  thereby  making  its  practice  an  interna- 
tional danger,  was  likewise  of  foreign  extraction. 
Heinrich  von  Treitschke  was  descended  from  a 
Czech  family  which  settled  in  Germany  during  the 
second  half  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  his  con- 
temporaries bear  witness  that  his  facial  type  and 
physical  temperament  were  quite  Slavonic  even  after 
the  lapse  of  two  centuries. 

Treitschke  ^  was  born  at  Dresden  in  1834.  As  a 
schoolboy  and  youth  he  displayed  considerable  ability 
as  well  as  personality.  His  father  was  an  officer, 
and  the  hope  was  cherished  that  young  Treitschke 
would  also  choose  a  military  career  —  a  hope  shat- 

1  "  Erinnerungen  an  Heinrich  von  Treitschke,"  by  Adolf  Haus- 
rath.  This  work  is  an  enthusiastic  but  non-critical  example  of 
hero-worship. 

163 


154  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

tered  by  lifelong  deafness  resulting  from  a  severe  ill- 
ness during  his  boyhood. 

In  1849  h^  witnessed  the  bloodshed  consequent 
upon  the  "  revolt  of  Dresden,"  but  there  is  little  to 
record  of  his  early  years  except  that  on  leaving  the 
classical  school  his  certificate  bore  testimony  to  high 
attainments,  especially  in  history. 

The  first  twelve  months  as  a  student  were  spent 
in  Bonn,  and  it  is  noteworthy  that  Treitschke  felt  no 
attraction  to  the  students'  corporations;  their  colossal 
achievements  in  beer-drinking,  which  so  often  de- 
generated into  free  fights,  disgusted  him.  On  ac- 
count of  his  deafness  he  attended  few -university 
lectures,  but  devoted  himself  with  great  zeal  to  pri- 
vate study. 

It  is  characteristic  of  German  university  life  that 
the  student  very  rarely  stays  for  several  years  ^t  one 
university.  After  one  or  more  terms  he  receives  his 
ex-matriculation  certificate,  and,  following  his  bent, 
passes  on  to  another  university.  Thus  none  of  Ger- 
many's famous  men  belong  to  one  university  in  the 
sense  that  Oxford  or  Cambridge  can  claim  many  of 
England's  great  men.  A  German's  alma  mater  is 
that  particular  university  where  he  took  his  degree; 
in  many  cases  he  has  not  put  in  a  single  term  there. 
Hence  Treitschke's  name  is  associated  with  Bonn, 
Leipzig,  Tubingen  and  Heidelberg.  At  the  last- 
named  he  took  his  doctorate;  there,  too,  he  came  into 
conflict  with   a   students'   corporation  —  the   Saxo- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  166 

Borussen  —  which  ended  In  two  challenges  and  one 
duel. 

In  another  chapter  the  bullying  methods  of  Ger- 
man corps-students  and  their  hostile  contempt  for 
non-incorporated  students  (Obscuranten)  Is  de- 
scribed at  length. 

One  evening  Treltschke  found  himself  surrounded 
by  a  number  of  young  fellows  from  the  above-named 
society.  Doubtless  they  hoped  to  humiliate  him  for 
his  well-known  antipathy  to  them.  In  the  altercation 
one  of  them  dubbed  Treltschke  ein  dummer  Junge 
(a  silly  young  fellow).  He  immediately  demanded 
satisfaction  with  pistols.  The  meeting  took  place, 
but  passed  off  without  bloodshed;  the  authorities, 
however,  heard  of  the  affair,  and  the  Senate  gave 
Treltschke  eight  days  In  Karzer^  for  issuing  a  chal- 
lenge to  fight  with  pistols.  Nothing  was  said  about 
the  duel  having  taken  place,  a  delinquency  for  which 
neither  combatant  was  punished.  Shortly  after- 
wards Treltschke  obtained  his  degree,  together  with 
his  leaving  certificate. 

It  Is  customary  for  the  university  registrar  to  enter 
all  breaches  of  academic  discipline  and  their  punish- 
ments on  the  leaving  certificate  or  Ex-Matrikel, 
Accordingly  on  that  of  Treltschke  a  record  of  his  two 
challenges  and  eight  days'  confinement  was  made, 
but  It  Is  an  error  to  state  that  he  was  ''  sent  down  " 
for  these  offences.^     If  German  students  were  "  sent 

2  Students'  slang  for  university  prison. 

3  Mr.  Joseph  McCabe,  in  his  work  on  Treltschke,  is  responsible 


156  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

down "  for  such  everyday  affairs  —  although  no 
longer  with  pistols  —  then  some  forty  per  cent,  of 
the  academic  youth  would  be  compelled  to  find  new 
paths  in  life. 

Before  completing  his  twenty-first  year  the  future 
historian  returned  to  his  parental  home  as  a  doctor 
philosophic  in  1855.  Still  he  had  no  fixed  plans  for 
the  future;  his  fiery,  combative  nature  impelled  him 
to  a  military  career  —  a  path  closed  to  him  by  his 
affliction.  Irresolution  and  constant  change  dis- 
tinguish the  years  1855  ^^  1866,  when  he  finally 
became  a  Bismarckian. 

The  ideal  of  German  unity  had  already  become 
an  obsession,  an  ideal  which  has  the  present  writer's 
entire  sympathy.  Treitschke  had  already  written 
and  spoken  on  this  theme.  A  youthful  poem  ex- 
pressed a  passionate  desire  to  see  that  unity  founded 
by  the  sword,  a  prophecy  fulfilled  in  1871.  Curi- 
ously enough,  his  surroundings  for  some  years  were 
not  those  in  which  one  would  expect  an  apostle  of 
German  unity  to  find  either  inspiration  or  support. 
Certainly  Treitschke  found  little  enough  of  the  latter 
either  in  Goettingen  (Hannover)  or  Leipzig 
(Saxony) .  The  rulers  of  the  smaller  German  States 
were,  for  reasons  of  self-preservation,  bitterly  hostile 
to  these  ideas;  yet  for  ten  years  Prussia's  future 

for  this  statement.  A  full  account  of  these  incidents  may  be  found 
in  Theodor  Schiemann's  "  Heinrich  von  Treitschke's  Lehr  und 
Wander  jahre." 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  167 

glorlfier  lived  and  taught  Prusslanism  In  the  small 
States. 

At  Goettlngen  (1856)  Treitschke  devoted  himself 
to  poetry,  but  his  virile  cast  of  mind  ultimately  led 
him  in  1857  to  settle  at  Leipzig  University,  where 
he  hoped  paternal  interest  would  enable  him  to  obtain 
a  professorship.  For  a  year  he  worked  hard  on  a 
question  of  social  science,  submitted  the  essay,  which 
was  approved  by  the  Faculty,  and  with  the  permission 
of  the  Saxon  Government  he  was  granted  the  venia 
legendiy  or  the  right  to  hold  academic  lectures. 

His  liberal  and  Prussian  leanings  soon  became  evi- 
dent, giving  the  authorities  considerable  concern.  In 
1859  his  father  warned  him  that  the  Minister  for 
Education,  among  other  members  of  the  Government, 
had  expressed  opinions  which  boded  ill  for  the  young 
lecturer.  The  elder  Treitschke  warned  him  that  no 
one  ought  to  accept  a  post  in  the  service  of  the  State 
unless  he  accepted  the  State  as  it  is.  In  reply  his 
son  stated  the  doctrine  of  akademische  Lehrfreiheit,"^ 
a  defence  which  apparently  satisfied  the  father. 
Notwithstanding  this  warning  Treitschke  continued 
to  Prussianize ;  yet  the  outcome  clearly  proves  that  no 
German  State  tolerates  a  professor  whose  teachings 
are  contrary  to  Its  wishes  and  Interests. 

At  this  period  Treltschke's  hostility  to  small 
States  grew  rapidly.  His  objection  to  them  was  that 
they  are  weak  and  therefore  lacking  that  power  which 

*  Dealt  with  on  page  48. 


158  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMAN! 

is  the  first  and  only  justification  for  a  State's  exist- 
ence. This  hatred,  at  first,  was  doubtless  aroused 
against  Bavaria,  Saxony,  Hannover,  etc.,  because  they 
prevented  the  realization  of  his  political  dream  — 
the  union  of  the  German  peoples  under  one  ruler,  a 
German  Kaiser  j  later  this  became  an  irreconcilable 
antagonism  to  smaller  States  on  principle. 

No  wonder  the  Saxon  authorities  looked  askance 
at  him,  for  the  academic  youth  caught  his  enthusiasm 
and  flocked  to  his  lectures.  He  moved  from  one 
auditorium  to  another  till  the  largest  lecturing  hall  in 
Leipzig  University  could  not  accommodate  his  eager 
hearers.  The  crisis  soon  came;  a  remark  made  in 
one  of  his  lectures  to  the  effect  that  it  was  to  be 
regretted,  that  Saxony  had  not  been  added  to  Prussia 
in  1 8 15,  led  to  an  open  breach.  Practically  he  was 
asked  to  go  on,  and  as  Treitschke  had  intended  for 
some  time  past  to  write  a  history  of  the  German  Con- 
federation, he  now  announced  his  intention  of  devot- 
ing himself  for  a  time  to  research  work.  The  stu- 
dents signed  a  petition  begging  him  to  remain;  his 
father  wrote  that,  *'  after  being  a  Saxon  general  for 
fifty  years  he  was  deeply  wounded  at  his  son  becoming 
an  apostle  of  Prussia." 

He  withdrew  to  Munich,  where  he  applied  his  fiery 
spirit  with  unbounded  enthusiasm  to  the  history  al- 
ready referred  to.  In  a  few  years  Treitschke  re- 
turned to  Leipzig,  but  recognized  the  hopelessness 
of  ever  again  teaching  in  a  Saxon  university.     An 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  159 

invitation  to  Freiburg  University  (Baden)  in  1864 
was  accepted,  but  the  pettiness  prevailing  there,  both 
socially  and  academically,  made  a  most  uncongenial 
atmosphere. 

During  his  Freiburg  period  he  obtained  Bismarck's 
permission  to  consult  the  Prussian  State  archives,  an 
incident  which  led  to  the  great  Statesman  offering 
him  employment  in  Prussia.  But  Treitschke  held 
other  views  on  internal  policy  than  Bismarck,  hence, 
in  spite  of  their  mutual  passion  fot  German  unity, 
Treitschke  returned  to  Baden  in  1866.  There  he 
became  engaged  to  his  future  wife,  Emma  von  Bod- 
mann ;  while  celebrating  this  event  he  was  compelled 
to  flee. 

Baden  threw  in  its  lot  with  Austria  in  the  war  of 
1866  and  Treitschke's  life  was  no  longer  safe  in 
Freiburg.  He  returned  to  Berlin,  but  this  time  being 
without  a  position  he  was  glad  to  accept  Bismarck's 
offer  of  a  post  in  Kiel  University.  From  this  year 
onward  his  Liberal  leanings  rapidly  weakened,  till 
as  Bismarck's  henchman  his  opinions  became  as  Con- 
servative as  his  Prussian  masters  could  desire. 

The  absorption  of  Schleswig-Holstein  by  Prus- 
sia was  a  step  thoroughly  in  accordance  with  his  po- 
litical creed  and  probably  inspired  his  work,  "  The 
Future  of  the  North  German  States"  (1866). 
Therein  he  pleaded  for  their  complete  annexation 
by  Prussia.  Regardless  of  his  father's  official  posi- 
tion in  Saxony,  he  furiously  attacked  the  Saxon  royal 


160  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

house,  which  caused  an  open  breach  between  himself 
and  his  parent.  A  reconciliation  followed,  however, 
shortly  before  the  elder  Treitschke's  death  in  1867. 

From  Kiel,  Treitschke  was  removed  to  Heidel- 
berg, where  he  finally  established  his  reputation  as 
an  historian  and  publicist.  One  of  his  colleagues 
and  later  biographer  (Adolf  Hausrath)  describes 
him  at  this  period  as  being  tall  and  thin,  fiery  and 
energetic.  Blessed  with  the  gift  of  eloquence,  he 
captured  the  hearts  of  his  students,  fired  their  imagin- 
ations with  his  ideals,  and  when  war  broke  out  with 
France  raised  their  enthusiasm  to  white  heat. 

As  his  deafness  prevented  him  from  hearing  the 
bell  which  signalled  the  end  of  the  lectures,  Treit- 
schke always  requested  a  student  in  the  front  row 
to  give  him  a  sign  to  stop.  But  so  much  were  they 
under  the  spell  of  his  eloquence,  that  the  signal  was 
seldom  given  and  the  lecturer  often  exceeded  his 
time  by  half  an  hour. 

His  advice  to  student-soldiers  proceeding  to  the 
front  in  1870,  *^  Conquer  at  all  costs,"  betrays  the 
intense  emotion  with  which  he  followed  the  struggle. 
Victory  and  the  founding  of  the  German  Empire 
brought  him  —  the  Kaiserherold  —  real  joy.^ 

During  1 87 1  he  was  elected  to  the  Reichstag  and 
remained  a  member  till  1888.     In  spite  of  having 

^  Bavaria  retained  special  privileges  with  regard  to  peculiarly 
Bavarian  questions  —  a  fact  which  disgusted  Treitschke  not  a 
little.  He  had  hoped  for  a  clean  sweep  and  suspected  Bismarck 
of  weakness  in  this  respect. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  161 

learned  the  deaf-and-dumb  speech  he  was  obliged 
to  sit  at  the  Press  table  In  order  to  follow  the  de- 
bates by  reading  the  reporters'  shorthand  notes. 
His  popularity  and  influence  were  now  secure,  so 
that  his  removal  to  the  chair  of  history  In  Berlin 
(1874)  was  only  the  natural  fulfilment  of  long-  cher- 
ished expectations.  There  young  Germany  flocked 
to  hear  him,  as  If  his  were  the  voice  of  a  prophet 
and  oracle. 

In  those  days  women  were  not  admitted  to  Ger- 
man universities,  or  only  as  hearers  by  the  grace  of 
the  professor.  Treltschke  refused  to  permit  ladles 
in  his  lectures  on  any  consideration. 

He  had  no  sympathy  for  the  Jews  or  Social 
Democracy;  both  in  speeches  and  pamphlets  he  at- 
tacked the  former  and  received  some  drastic  replies 
from  the  oppressed  race.  His  attitude  to  the  latter 
is  comprehensible  because  the  rise  of  German  De- 
mocracy —  the  fourth  estate  —  seemed  to  threaten 
his  beloved  Ideals  of  Statecraft.  *'  Treltschke 
viewed  the  movement  from  the  point  of  view  — 
of  a  man,  of  the  whole  of  the  nation,  of  the  State 
and  of  the  authority  of  the  Crown.  At  every  one 
of  these  points  he  felt  himself  hurt  by  the  disorderly 
revolt  of  one  class,  by  Its  international  and  anti-na- 
tional declamations.  He  had  always  placed  the 
State  above  Society,  and  now  a  portion  of  the  latter 
wanted  to  violate  the  former  In  Its  own  Interests. 
The  semi-education  and  presumption  of  the  fourth 


162  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

estate  and  its  agitators  seemed  to  him  a  danger  to 
the  civilization  of  his  country."  ^ 

Treltschke  was  an  aristocrat  of  personality  and 
intellect.  He  had  never  been  a  Liberal  In  the  full 
party  meaning  of  the  word,  and  In  1879  he  left  the 
National  Liberals  to  Identify  himself  entirely  with 
Bismarck's  party.  His  Influence  In  parliament, 
though  not  so  all-compelling  as  In  the  university,  was 
powerful  and  his  speeches  commanded  a  respectful 
hearing.  In  religious  matters  he  declared  himself 
to  be  a  free-thinker,  yet  there  are  evidences  that  his 
attitude  changed  considerably  in  later  life. 

Up  to  this  point  the  real  source  of  his  influence 
has  only  been  briefly  mentioned;  now  it  requires  to 
be  dealt  with  more  exhaustively.  In  avowing  the 
cause  of  German  unity  he  voiced  a  yearning  which 
had  slumbered  in  Germany's  heart  for  many  years. 
Treltschke  preached  union,  Bismarck  realized  It; 
both  were,  In  a  striking  sense,  men  of  the  hour. 
They  -were  the  men  who  compelled  a  great  move- 
ment, hitherto  formless  and  helpless,  into  a  con- 
crete, tangible  shape.  Bismarck  was  the  Statesman, 
Treltschke  the  Prophet.  His  message  was  a  burn- 
ing gospel,  a  consuming  fire  of  nationalism. 
Through  him  Germany's  past  appeared  in  new  col- 
ours and  her  future  was  filled  with  new  hopes. 

In  his  historical  method  Treltschke  was  no  pio- 
neer; on  the  other  hand  in  glorifying  his  country's 

«"Heinnch  von  Treitschke,"  by  Erich  Marcks,  1906. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  163 

past  he  did  nothing  new.  His  history  was  intended 
to  cover  the  years  1815  up  to  his  own  time;  as  a 
matter  of  fact  he  only  got  down  to  the  year  1848. 
Volume  I  appeared  in  1879  ^^^  ^^^  ^^^^  1^  1894, 
two  years  before  his  death.  During  those  years  it 
was  looked  upon  as  the  greatest  contribution  to  Ger- 
man literature  of  the  period.  In  the  introduction  he 
deals  with  German  history  from  1648  to  18 15,  then 
plunges  into  his  subject,  which  is  Prussian-German 
development  up  to  Empire.  Everything  which  had 
furthered  this  aim  he  seized  upon  and  celebrated, 
while  all  that  hindered  the  ideal  he  unhesitatingly 
condemned.  Yet  the  work  is  not  a  history  of  the 
Prussian  people  In  the  sense  of  Green's  "  History 
of  the  English  People,"  but  rather  a  glorification  of 
Prussia's  ruling  house,  the  Hohenzollerns. 

He  intended  the  work  to  be  more  than  a  mere 
record  of  facts;  it  was  to  educate  German  nation- 
alism, and  be  an  Instrument  for  agitation  and  prop- 
aganda. Within  these  limits  Treltschke's  history 
achieved  complete  success.  Moreover,  there  is 
nothing  deserving  of  censure  In  cultivating  German 
national  spirit  or  singing  praises  of  her  past  to  a 
German  public.  The  unlawful  and  harmful  is  to 
be  found  In  what  seemed  to  Treitschke  and  his  school 
the  next  logical  development.  World-wide  praise 
of  Germany's  struggle  for  unity  has  long  since  ex- 
pressed the  approval  of  humanity  on  that  high  en- 
deavour.    But  success  and  victory  were  to  Treit- 


164  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

schke  the  harbingers  of  a  still  greater  event.  A 
united  Germany  is  destined  to  become  a  world  Ger- 
many. That  is  the  essence  of  his  message,  preached 
with  all  the  force  of  a  fiery,  compelling  personality, 
and  the  generation  to  which  he  delivered  it,  intoxi- 
cated with  national  victory,  lent  him  their  willing  ears. 

Just  as  he  had  admonished  his  students  in  1870 
**  to  conquer  at  all  costs,"  so  now  he  taught  the  Ger- 
man nation  to  achieve  world-domination  at  all  costs 
and  by  any  means.  The  Prussian  State  had  be- 
come the  German  Empire,  which  in  its  turn  was  to 
be  the  "  Super-State  "  of  the  earth. 

The  development  of  this  dream  coincides  to  a 
great  extent  with  the  growth  of  Treitschke's  hate 
for  England.  He  would  have  been  dull  indeed  had 
he  not  perceived  that  this  country  was  the  greatest 
obstacle  to  the  realization  of  his  hopes. 

"In  German  naval  expansion  (1884)  Treitschke 
saw  some  of  his  own  ideas  taken  up,  and  his  hatred 
for  England  —  which  he  had  once  loved  and  ad- 
mired, and  which  at  one  period  of  his  life  had  meant 
so  much  to  him  —  became  a  part  of  his  blood,  as  was 
the  case  with  many  others  of  the  1 870  generation. 

"  Disparagement  of  England  and  her  power,  hate 
of  English  national  egotism  became  dogmas,  and  he 
did  much  to  impregnate  German  public  opinion  with 
them."^ 

A   striking  passage   from  Treitschke's   own  pen 

T  Erich  Marcks*   "  Heinrich   von   Treitschke,"   p.   55.    A   lecture 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  165 

will  best  show  his  attitude  to  this  country.  It  Is 
taken  from  "  Zehn  Jahre  Deutscher  Kampfe " 
("Ten  Years  of  German  Struggles"),  p.  172. 
*'  No  matter  how  highly  one  may  think  of  British 
freedom,  It  Is  an  Indisputable  fact  that  modern  Eng- 
land Is  a  reactionary  power  among  the  community 
of  nations.  Her  world  power  Is  an  obvious  an- 
achronism. It  was  founded  In  those  good  old 
times,  when  world-wars  were  won  by  naval  battles 
and  hired  bands  of  mercenaries ;  when  It  was  consid- 
ered Statecraft  to  rob  and  accumulate  well-situated 
naval  fortresses  and  coaling  stations  in  all  the  lands 
of  the  earth,  thereby  brutally  Ignoring  their  nature 
and  history.  In  this  century  of  great  national  States 
and  national  armies,  such  a  cosmopolitan  commercial 
power  cannot  permanently  maintain  itself.  The 
time  will  and  must  come  when  Gibraltar  will  belong 
to  Spain,  Malta  to  Italy,  Heligoland  to  Germany, 
and  so  on.  It  can  easily  happen  that  when  England 
feels  her  vital  interests  to  be  In  danger,  she  will  once 
more  amaze  the  world  by  a  display  of  determined 
bravery.  But  the  outlook  of  her  Statesmen  has  be- 
come so  absolutely  narrow,  and  their  world-view 
(Weltanschauung)  just  as  grandfatherly  In  Its  limi- 
tations and  musty  conservatism,  as  was  once  the 
policy  of  the  decaying  Netherlands.     Too  rich,  sur- 

on  Treitschke  in  honour  of  the  tenth  anniversary  of  his  death.  The 
lecture  was  delivered  in  all  parts  of  Germany  and  published  at 
Heidelberg  in  the  same  year,  1906. 


166  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

feited,  vulnerable  at  a  hundred  places  in  their  vast 
possessions,  the  British  feel  that  they  have  nothing 
more  to  wish  for  in  the  wide  world.  Further,  they 
know  that  they  have  no  weapons  with  which  they 
could  contend  against  the  young  and  great  powers 
of  this  century,  except  the  played-out  forces  of  a  by- 
gone age.  Modern  England  is  the  shameless  rep- 
resentative of  barbarism  in  international  law.  It  is 
her  guilt,  that  naval  warfare  still  bears  —  to  the 
outrage  of  humanity  —  the  character  of  privileged 
robbery.  It  was  her  opposition  at  the  Brussels  Con- 
gress which  thwarted  Germany's  and  Russia's  pro- 
posals to  limit  the  horrors  of  land  wars.  She  was 
the  screaming,  but,  thank  God,  cowardly  advocate 
of  Danish  rights  in  Schleswig-Holstein.  And  after 
all  these  heaped-up  examples  of  her  incapacity,  and 
in  face  of  the  narrow  prejudices  prevailing  in  British 
Statecraft,  are  we  Germans  to  look  up  to  that  coun- 
try as  the  noble-minded  defender  of  international 
freedom  and  the  European  balance  of  power?  " 

Many  similar  attacks  may  be  found  scattered 
throughout  Treitschke's  writings,  especially  in 
"  Die  Politik."  Readers  acquainted  with  the  habit- 
ual caution  which  German  professors  exercise  when 
committing  themselves  to  print  can  easily  conceive 
how  much  more  inflammatory  Treitschke's  declama- 
tions before  his  students  must  have  been.  German 
strength  and  efficiency  contrasted  with  England's 
alleged  decay  and  weakness  made  it  an  easy  task 
to  conclude  that  Germany  was  in  the  natural  course 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  167 

of  events  destined  to  dispossess  the  effete  "  robber '' 
and  rejuvenate  the  world. 

Amid  English  surroundings,  to  some  It  may  still 
be  incomprehensible  how  these  doctrines  could  have 
permeated  a  great  nation.  Above  all  It  Is  necessary 
to  understand  that  Trietschke  captured  the  Intellec- 
tuals of  his  day;  his  chair  of  history  In  Berlin  was 
only  one  of  many  from  which  his  teachings  were 
being  spread;  his  pupils  soon  occupied  his  and  all 
other  chairs  of  history  In  German  universities. 

Apart  from  the  spread  of  Treltschkean  Ideas  by 
means  of  the  press  and  platform,  It  Is  easy  to  show 
that  practically  every  educated  German  has  come 
under  his  Influence  In  the  school.  Before  a  teacher 
Is  appointed  In  a  State  school,  he  must  have  studied 
at  a  university,  a  regulation  which  applies  equally 
to  teachers  of  history.  It  Is  not  In  the  least  extraor- 
dinary that  the  most  bitter  enemies  to  England  have 
always  been  the  professors  In  German  schools  and 
universities.  Professors  and  masters  In  the  schools 
have  hnblbed  their  hostility  at  the  university  —  the 
chief  source. 

In  191 1  there  were  over  three  hundred  thousand 
German  boys  between  the  ages  of  ten  and  twenty  In 
the  State  Secondary  Schools  and  two  hundred  and 
twelve  thousand  pupils  In  Secondary  Schools  for 
Girls.  Taking  Into  consideration  that  Treltschke's 
gospel  of  a  world  Germany  was  promulgated  forty 
years  ago,  It  Is  easy  to  Imagine  that  In  this  gen- 
eration there  are   exceedingly   few  who,   at  some 


168  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

period  or  other,  have  not  come  under  his  influence. 

In  spite  of  the  demonstrable  weakness  under- 
lying the  presumption  that  England  is  decayed  and 
weak,  while  Germany  Is  strong  and  efficient,  it  is 
easy  to  explain  why  the  idea  has  received  a  national 
welcome.  German  character  is  peculiarly  prone  to 
envy  and  susceptible  to  flattery.  England's  mighty 
past  and  splendid  present  fed  the  fires  of  Teutonic 
envy.  Simultaneously  the  prophecy  of  a  world- 
compelling  Germany  flattered  the  nation.  It  never 
occurred  to  Treitschke  that  only  that  system  which 
best  meets  the  needs  and  satisfies  the  longings  of  the 
human  ego  can  hope  for  general  acceptance  by  hu- 
manity. 

Comparing  the  systems  of  the  two  States  it  may 
be  proved  conclusively,  that  Germany  has  not 
evolved  higher  ideals  of  freedom,  justice  and  honour 
than  the  accepted  English  standards  of  these  prin- 
ciples. Treitschke  knew  better  than  most  Germans 
that  in  those  qualities  and  principles  which  make  for 
the  emancipation  of  the  human  race,  England  sur- 
passes the  best  which  Germany  can  offer.  Hence 
he  declares  what  we  consider  really  valuable  for  cul- 
ture to  be  "  English  cant,''  "  sentimental  utilitarian- 
ism," "  ideals  of  the  Manchester  school,"  and  con- 
signs them  to  the  international  dust-heap.  In  their 
place,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  next  chapter,  he  offers 
mankind  a  stone  for  bread,  in  the  form  of  idealized 
brute  force,  which,  according  to  his  gospel.  Is  the 
great  civillzer  and  emancipator  of  the  world. 


CHAPTER  IX 

treitschke's  state  and  its  morality 

NIETZSCHE  held  the  individual  to  be  the 
centre  of  all  things,  and  according  to  the 
evolutionary  doctrine  concerning  the  "  struggle  for 
existence  "  which  produces  the  "  fittest,"  Neitzsche 
claimed  unlimited  licence  for  the  individual  who 
takes  part  in  the  battle  of  life.  From  the  point  of 
view  of  the  individual,  Treitschke's  teachings  are  a 
complete  negation  of  Neitzsche;  he  denies  to  the 
individual  every  right  and  liberty,  except  those  ac- 
cruing to  him  in  and  through  the  State.  But  just 
those  claims  which  the  philosopher  made  for  the  in- 
dividual, the  historian  claims  for  his  deified  State, 
which  is,  in  reality,  merely  a  magnified  ego.  Ac- 
cording to  Treitschke  the  individual  exists  only  to 
promote  the  welfare  of  the  State;  in  return  the  lat- 
ter protects  him  or  sacrifices  him  in  warfare. 

The  author  of  "  Die  Politik  "  ^  expressly  states 
that  the  man  must  not  be  employed  as  an  instru- 

i"Die  Politik"  is  a  work  In  two  volumes,  containing  roughly 
nine  hundred  pages.  It  was  not  written  by  Treitschke,  but  con- 
tains his  lectures  delivered  in  Berlin  University,  as  collected  from 
students'  notebooks  by  M.  Cornicelius.  It  was  published  in  1897, 
one  year  after  Treitschke's  death.  "Die  Politik"  contains  Treit- 
schke's  teachings  concerning  the  State  and  Statecraft. 

169 


170  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

ment,  and  supports  his  contention  by  quoting  Kant, 
but  flatly  contradicts  his  own  doctrine  in  at  least 
two  different  passages.^  "  The  State  does  not,  on 
principle,  ask  what  is  the  individual's  opinion,  but 
it  demands  obedience.  Its  laws  must  be  observed, 
whether  willingly  or  unwillingly.'*  "  It  would  be 
vain  presumption  on  the  part  of  the  individual  if 
the  State  were  to  be  considered  a  means  for  attain- 
ing the  ends  of  its  citizens.  On  the  other  hand  the 
individual  must  subordinate  himself  to  it,  while  in 
return  the  State  interferes  {eingreifen)  in  the  life 
of  the  citizens  in  a  protective  and  benevolent  sense." 
Hence  the  evidences  of  Nietzsche's  influence  will  be 
found  in  the  lives  of  Germans  as  individuals,  and  that 
of  Treitschke  in  the  national  life,  in  Germany's  re- 
lations as  a  State  to  other  States,  and  in  her  own 
internal  government.  Yet  both  these  writers  were 
apostles  of  aggression  in  one  of  two  forms,  the 
former  individual,  and  the  latter  collective  aggres- 
sion. 

Treitschke  devotes  many  pages  to  the  definition 
of  a  State.  "  It  is  a  lawfully  united  people  exist- 
ing as  an  independent  power;"  or:  "the  State  is 
the  public  power  organized  for  defence  and  defi- 
ance; "  again:  "  it  is  the  sum  total  of  all  the  individ- 
ual wills  of  a  people."  ^  But  the  fundamental  idea 
underlying    his    varying    terms    is    always    power. 

2  "  Die  Politik,"  Vol.  I.,  pp.  32,  68. 
^Ibid.  I.,  p.  27. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  171 

Treitschke  looked  upon  the  State  as  the  embodiment 
of  the  strength  of  all  its  units;  the  gathering  up  into 
itself  of  the  national  forces  is  the  end  and  aim  of  the 
State,  i.e.,  the  State  itself  is  its  own  end  and  aim. 
Hence  Power  is  the  first  principle  of  the  State;  its 
being  is  Will.  Here  Nietzsche's  doctrine  for  the 
individual  —  the  will  to  power  —  finds  its  parallel 
on  an  infinitely  greater  scale. 

The  question  may  be  raised  as  to  what  the  State 
Is  in  actual  life,  for  the  definitions  are  by  no  means 
clear  on  the  point.  The  State  is  no  more  nor  less 
than  the  crowned  head,  the  military  power,  and  the 
bureaucracy,  or  in  reality  the  monarch  and  the  few 
score  men  who  conceive  and  direct  the  policy  of  the 
country. 

All  impulses  come  from  above,  that  is,  the  will 
of  this  small  "  real  State  "  is  imposed  upon  the 
masses  forming  the  community.  No  German  ever 
Identifies  himself  with  the  State ;  the  "  man  in  the 
street  "  speaks  of  It  either  with  awe  or  dislike.  He 
is  fully  aware  that  he  can  exercise  no  influence  upon 
its  deliberations,  but  under  certain  conditions  der 
Staat  can  dispose  of  his  body,  soul  and  chattels. 

On  the  whole,  Germans  have  unbounded  confi- 
dence In  the  State,  and  this  trust  Is  based  upon  solid 
experience,  for  the  State  led  them  to  victory  in  1870, 
and  since  that  time  has  organized  the  military,  naval, 
commercial,  economic  and  intellectual  forces  of  the 
country  In  a  manner  never  before  attained  In  the  his- 


17a  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

tory  of  the  world.  Therein  lies  a  great  danger  be- 
cause the  resulting  power  possesses  a  momentum  not 
under  the  control  of  the  nation.  A  coterie  develops 
the  national  strength  and  has  unlimited  rights  In  de- 
termining the  object  for  which  It  shall  be  employed. 

The  present  war  Is  a  striking  Instance  —  If  such 
were  necessary  —  of  this  Treltschkean  doctrine  and 
Its  application.  During  the  period  July  25  th  to 
July  31st,  19 14,  the  German  State  made  its  final 
preparations  for  war;  on  August  ist  a  declaration 
of  war  was  made  upon  Russia  and  four  days  later 
the  Reichstag  met  to  give  Its  consent.  On  that  oc- 
casion the  Kaiser's  theatrical  demonstration  to  pro- 
cure complete  unity  among  the  various  parties  was 
a  very  cheap  recompense  for  Ignoring  the  human 
right  of  a  nation  to  decide  In  a  question  concerning 
Its  destiny.  The  national  representatives  were  met 
with  un  fait  accompli  —  war !  —  and  no  other  course 
was  open  to  them  than  to  give  It  their  unqualified 
support.  All  subsequent  utterances  of  the  Em- 
peror and  his  spokesmen  protesting  that  Germans 
are  fighting  for  their  homes  and  national  existence, 
fall  under  the  category  of  State  deceptions.  It  is 
obvious  that  Germany  is  now  fighting  to  protect 
hearth  and  home,  Including  everything  which  Ger- 
mans hold  dear,  but  the  imperial  advocates  omit 
the  vital  point,  that  the  German  State  voluntarily 
placed  these  national  goods  at  stake  when  there  was 
no  cogent  reason  for  doing  so. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  173 

The  root  of  the  German  menace  lies  not  so  much 
in  the  chauvinistic  propaganda  which  has  been  car- 
ried on  in  that  country,  but  that  one  or  two  men  had 
the  power  to  set  the  machine  going;  when  the 
mechanism  is  in  motion  the  State  holds  the  reins  and 
can  prevent  questions  or  opposition  of  any  kind. 

Probably  the  greatest  piece  of  cynicism  which 
Bismarck  imposed  upon  Germany  and  the  world  is 
German  suffrage.  Every  man  on  attaining  his 
twenty-fifth  year  has  a  vote  for  imperial  representa- 
tion. There  are  no  property  qualifications,  no  plur- 
ality of  votes,  no  residence  or  income  restrictions  ^ ; 
yet  the  Reichstag  has  actually  no  power  in  determin- 
ing questions  of  national  destiny;  it  is  just  as  effec- 
tive as  a  first-class  debating  society. 

In  theory  the  German  Parliament  has  the  power 
to  vote  supplies;  should  the  popular  representatives 
refuse  "  financial  aid  "  then,  according  to  the  con- 
stitution, the  Kaiser  possesses  power  similar  to 
Charles  the  First's  claims  in  regard  to  ship-money. 
A  "  national  emergency  "  would  result  which  invests 
the  monarch,  chosen  by  God,  with  unlimited  powers. 
Such  a  dead-lock  actually  occurred  in  the  Austrian 
Empire  during  March,  19 14.  The  Austrian  Reich- 
stag refused  a  vote  for  the  army  and  was  immedi- 
ately adjourned.     Under  paragraph  fourteen  ^   of 

*A  court  of  law  can  deprive  a  man  of  his  civic  rights  for  a 
period  of  years  for  a  criminal  act. 

5  The  author  was  in  Vienna  at  the  time  and  is  quoting  from 
memory  what  he  read  in  Austrian  papers. 


174  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

the  Constitution  the  Emperor  Franz  Joseph  signed 
the  necessary  documents,  and  the  taxes  became  legal 
without  parliamentary  consent. 

In  Berlin  everything  is  done  by  intrigue  and 
wheedling  to  obtain  a  majority  in  support  of  the 
State's  proposals  so  as  to  avoid  a  popular  crisis  — 
to  preserve  the  farce  of  popular  government;  but 
the  fact  remains  that  neither  the  Kaiser  nor  his  min- 
isters (Le,,  the  real  State)  are  responsible  to  the 
nation  as  represented  in  the  German  Reichstag. 

Within  the  last  decade  a  leading  Conservative  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  the  Kaiser  had  the  right 
to  send  a  lieutenant  and  a  squad  of  soldiers  to  close 
the  Reichstag  at  any  moment.  In  spite  of  the  out- 
cry which  his  statement  evoked,  that  represents  ex- 
actly the  Kaiser's  constitutional  powers,  and  it  would 
be  futile  to  argue  that  the  majority  of  the  nation 
does  not  give  either  tacit  or  expressed  consent  to 
these  conditions. 

German  Liberals  would  immediately  answer  any 
interrogation  on  the  point: — "We  prefer,  in  the 
last  resort,  to  be  in  the  hands  of  the  Emperor  rather 
than  fall  victims  to  Social  Democracy,  which  would 
hold  the  reins  of  power  under  any  system  of  repre- 
sentative government."  In  England  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  depute  —  under  potent  restrictions  —  na- 
tional affairs  to  the  conduct  of  the  national  represent- 
atives, who  are  responsible  for  their  proper  execu- 
tion; it  cannot  be  too  often  emphasized  that  these 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  175 

conditions  do  not  prevail  in  Germany.  There  the 
Parliament  has  not  the  power  to  decide  for  peace 
or  war;  it  has  not  the  power  to  ratify  treaties  or  to 
cultivate  friendship  with  other  powers.  In  the  light 
of  these  facts  it  is  interesting  to  consider  the  utter- 
ances of  German  peace  delegates  in  this  country 
and  in  their  own  home. 

Whenever  representatives  of  Germany's  Parlia- 
ment or  Church  have  pledged  German  friendship 
and  benevolence,  they  have  promised  something  over 
which  they  could  evercise  no  determining  power.^ 
Unfortunately  an  undiscerning  section  of  the  British 
public  accepted  these  effusions  at  their  face  value  in- 
stead of  regarding  them  as  equal  in  worth  to  the 
"  small-talk  '*  with  which  a  diligent  employee  fills  up 
the  intervals  in  conversation  with  a  customer  with 
whom  he  is  doing  business. 

Whatever  bitterness  we  may  feel  against  Germany 
at  the  present  time,  should  not  blind  us  to  the  fact 
that  German  State  organization  is  a  wonderful 
method  for  getting  the  last  ounce  out  of  every  citizen. 
Germany,  before  the  war,  might  have  been  very 
aptly  compared  to  a  huge  bee-hive.  The  deplorable 
side  is,  however,  that  the  accumulated  wealth  and 
national  strength  can  be  turned  into  any  channel 

®  If  Mr.  A.  concludes  a  business  arrangement  -with  Mr.  B.'s 
shop-assistant,  English  law  frees  Mr.  B.  from  the  fulfilment  of 
the  contract.  In  the  case  of  the  German  State,  the  latter  recog- 
nizes no  promises  made  by  its  citizens,  and  further  reserves  to 
itself  the  right,  to  keep  or  break  obligations  contracted  by  itself. 


176  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

which  the  ruling  coterie  may  choose,  without  previ- 
ously consulting  the  national  will.  Such  power 
should  never  be  at  the  disposition  of  one  man  or 
even  a  few,  especially  when  these  men  admit  respon- 
sibility to  no  earthly  power.  Treltschke  Insists 
upon  "  the  absolute  Independence  of  the  State  from 
every  other  power  on  earth." 

The  German  people  could  only  call  the  State  to 
account  by  a  revolution,  an  event  of  exceeding  im- 
probability. If  the  Allies  are  unable  by  force  of 
arms  to  compel  that  State  to  recognize  Its  respon- 
sibility, then  certainly  no  other  earthly  power  may 
hope  to  achieve  that  object  for  many  generations  to 
come ;  but  that  aim  having  been  once  attained,  It  be- 
hoves England  never  again  to  rely  upon  Mr.  Keir 
Hardle's  nod  to  bring  the  German  State  to  a  sense 
of  the  responsibility  which  Its  enormous  power  should 
Inspire. 

It  may  be  that  after  Germany's  navy  and  army 
have  been  broken,  the  German  people  will  emanci- 
pate themselves  from  the  yoke  of  autocracy;  such  an 
emancipation  Is,  acording  to  Treltschke,  mere  an- 
archy. He  writes:'^  "If  the  State  can  no  longer 
carry  out  what  It  wills,  then  It  founders  amid  an- 
archy." For  this  eventuality  he  Is  also  prepared. 
"  When  faced  by  ruin,  we  extol  the  State  which  suc- 
cumbs sword  in  hand."  ^     It  must  be  noted,  how- 

7  «  Die  Politik,"  L,  p.  28. 

8  Ibid.  I.,  p.  icxD. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  177 

ever,  that  Poland's  downfall  —  to  cite  only  one  in- 
stance —  sword  in  hand,  has  aroused  little  admira- 
tion among  Germans,  and  the  same  may  be  safely 
assumed  with  regard  to  Belgium.  Treitschke  him- 
self designates  Poland's  fight  for  nationality  and 
freedom,  as  "mad-brained  stubbornness"  {hirnver- 
brannte  V erstocktheit) . 

Having  seen  that  the  State  is  identical  with  power 
{i.e.,  armaments),  we  will  examine  Treitschke's 
raison  d'etre  for  organized  force.  "  The  protec- 
tion of  its  citizens  by  force  of  arms  is  the  first  and 
fundamental  duty  of  the  State."  "  The  State  which 
has  no  right  of  arms  {Wafenrecht)  is  no  longer  a 
State  in  any  sense  of  the  word.  It  is  essential  to  a 
State  that  it  have  the  power  to  accomplish  its  will  by 
physical  force.  Without  arms  the  effectiveness  of 
the  State's  will  is  absolutely  impossible."  ^  In  reply 
to  this  argument,  one  of  Treitschke's  opponents  ^^ 
quotes  England  as  a  refutation.  Pfarrer  Umfrid 
writes:  "The  army  in  England  is  only  an  exterior, 
a  dependent  factor  in  English  life,  yet  the  State  is 
able  to  exist." 

Treitschke,  in  his  perverse  desire  to  recognize 
power  as  the  supreme  virtue,  overlooks  the  question 
"  In  whose  hands  shall  this  power  be  placed?  "  It 
seems  to  him  a  matter  of  indifference  who  controls 

9 'Die  Politik,"  II.,  p.  322. 

10 "  Anti-Treitschke,"  by  O.  Umfrid,  Lutheran  pastor  In  Stutt- 
gart. Practically  the  only  voice  —  a  rather  insignificant  one  — 
which  has  been  raised  against  Treitschke's  barbarous  theories. 


178  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

it,  or  for  what  end  it  shall  be  employed.  Accord- 
ing to  him  only  one  use  is  immoral  —  the  defence  of 
another  country ;  from  which  it  follows  that  the  Eng- 
lish State  in  defending  Belgium  is  committing  a 
highly  immoral  act!  Nevertheless  he  stigmatizes 
England  "  cowardly  "  for  not  having  taken  up  arms 
in  defence  of  Schleswig-Holstein.^^  (It  may  well 
be  asked  whether  Treitschke  was  really  capable  of 
logical  thought,  he  condemns  a  brave-immoral  action 
equally  with  a  cowardly-moral  one!)  Without  dis- 
cussing the  point  in  more  detail,  it  may  at  once  be 
pointed  out,  that  Treitschke's  plea  for  the  State  to 
be  identical  with  power,  is  because  he  recognizes 
might  as  right.  There  is  one  qualification,  how- 
ever, even  to  this  principle,  but  Treitschke  is  careful 
not  to  state  it.  Might  is  right  only  when  the  might 
is  at  the  disposition  of  the  German  State.  Should 
England,  for  example,  possess  the  power  and  deign 
to  exercise  it  against  Germany,  then  that  power  is 
no  longer  right  —  it  becomes  immoral  bullying. 

We  have  already  seen  that  Treitschke's  State 
recognizes  no  earthly  power,  and  the  preservation 
of  this  supreme  independence  is  another  justifica- 
tion for  the  might  of  the  State.  "  In  order  to  pre- 
serve this  independence  the  State  must  possess  such 
an  abundance  of  armaments  (Machtmittel)  that  they 
sufllce  to  protect  it  against  foreign  influences.'*  In 
fact  he  finds  the  inalienable  essence  of  a  State's  sov- 

^^Fide  p.  1 66. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  179 

erelgnty  to  be  in  force  of  arms.^^  The  State  whose 
sovereignty  is  guaranteed  by  the  weapons  of  another 
State  is  not  a  State  at  all. 

Thus  in  so  many  words  Treitschke  rules  the  small 
State  out  of  court.  In  another  place  he  is  still  more 
explicit:  ^^  "Further  the  State  must  possess  suffi- 
cient material  power  to  be  able  to  maintain  by  force 
the  independence  which  exists  on  paper."  Belgium 
not  possessing  these  material  forces,  consequently, 
has  no  right  to  exist  as  a  State,  and  in  due  course  the 
same  applies  to  Holland  and  Switzerland.  Not  in 
vain  have  Germans  been  charged  with  a  lack  of 
humour,  otherwise  Treitschke  and  his  compatriots 
would  have  seen  what  this  principle  involves.  In  ef- 
fect it  means  that  every  man  has  the  right  to  appro- 
priate his  neighbour's  household  gods,  unless  his 
neighbour  Is  stronger  than  he  and  able  to  defend 
them  with  sword  and  pistol.  From  the  German 
point  of  view  this  latter  conclusion  would  be  false, 
because  it  is  an  application  to  the  details  of  life  of 
principles  which  Treitschke  evolved  as  a  part  of  his 
world-view  ( W eltanschauung ) . 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  ask  Treitschke's  opinion 
on  the  next  duty  of  the  State ;  its  first  duty  is  to  pos- 
sess power,  logically  the  second  must  be  to  use  it. 
"  The  second  essential  function  of  the  State  is  the 
waging  of  war.     That  the  world  has  failed  to  recog- 

12  «  Die  Politik,"  II.,  p.  322. 

13  Ibid.  I.,  p.  41. 


180  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

nize  this  before  is  a  proof  of  how  unmanly  State- 
craft had  become  in  the  hands  of  mere  laymen.  In 
our  century,  since  Clausewitz,  this  sentimental  inter- 
pretation has  disappeared.  A  one-sided  material- 
istic doctrine  has  sprung  up  In  Its  place,  which  after 
the  manner  of  the  Manchester  school,  regards  man 
as  a  two-legged  being  whose  destiny  Is  to  be  bought 
as  cheaply,  and  sold  as  dearly  as  possible.  That 
this  conception  Is  hostile  to  the  Idea  of  war.  Is  ob- 
vious; only  after  the  experiences  of  recent  wars 
(1866  and  1870)  has  a  healthy  opinion  of  the  State 
and  Its  military  power  begun  gradually  to  make  itself 
evident.  Without  war  there  would  be  no  States  at 
all.  All  States  known  to  us  have  arisen  through 
war.  Hence  war  will  last  to  the  end  of  history,  so 
long  as  there  Is  a  plurality  of  States.  That  It  could 
ever  become  otherwise.  It  Is  impossible  to  deduce 
either  from  the  laws  of  logic  or  from  human  na- 
ture, neither  is  it  In  any  way  to  be  desired."  ^* 

Granting  Treltschke's  definition  of  the  Manches- 
ter school,  then  it  is  difficult  to  see  that  a  man's  lot 
In  the  shambles  of  a  battlefield  Is  better  or  higher 
than  if  he  is  bought  and  sold  by  modern  "  material- 
ists." In  the  latter  case  the  man's  right  to  live  Is 
admitted,  while  according  to  Treltschke  he  has  no 
such  right,  although  It  Is  hard  to  believe  that  the  Al- 
mighty brought  his  creatures  into  being  merely  to 
satisfy    Treitschke's    demand-  for    cannon    fodder. 

1*  "  Die  Politik,"  I.,  p.  72. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  181 

Here  again  we  touch  bed-rock  In  German  sentiment 
—  the  Indifference  to  human  life. 

The  writer  has  known  hundreds  of  Germans  who 
would  put  themselves  to  endless  trouble  and  no  little 
expense  to  feed  our  feathered  friends  during  the 
severe  continental  winter,  yet  these  same  men  would 
consider  It  an  honour  to  shoot  a  man  at  twenty  paces 
over  some  trifling  difference  arising  in  daily  life. 
Germans  have  not  yet  dreamed  of  the  ''  sacredness 
of  human  life."  This  Is  a  phrase  remarkable  by  Its 
absence  from  their  language  and  literature.  At- 
tempted suicide  Is  no  crime  in  Germany;  the  man 
who  kills  his  opponent  In  a  duel  is  no  criminal,  either 
In  the  eyes  of  the  law  or  in  public  opinion  —  It  Is 
even  possible  that  the  latter  will  acclaim  him  a  hero. 
His  offence  may  lead  to  a  sentence  of  "  two  years' 
fortress  arrest,"  but  after  six  weeks  or  two  months 
a  benevolent  monarch  generally  pardons  him.^^ 

German  law  protects  property  more  stringently 
than  human  life  —  the  latter  costs  nothing.  For 
arson  a  man  may  get  six  to  ten  years'  penal  servi- 
tude, but  if  he  follows  his  enemy  home  from  the  beer- 
house and  stabs  him  to  death,  the  criminal  Is  seldom 
condemned  to  more  than  four  years'  Imprisonment. 

15  In  Metz  a  lieutenant  seduced  the  wife  of  a  comrade.  The 
officers'  Court  of  "Honour"  (?)  decided  that  a  duel  must  be 
fought;  the  wronged  man  was  slain  with  the  first  shot;  his  mur- 
derer was  condemned  to  two  years'  imprisonment  in  a  fortress. 
Two  months  later  (May,  1914)  the  Kaiser  pardoned  and  rein- 
stated him  in  the  army. 


18^  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

In  fact,  four  years  is  the  average  punishment  for 
hundreds  of  these  murders  ("kiUing  without  in- 
tent") every  year.  Among  Bavarian  ruffians  this 
phrase  is  native ;  "  Der  Kerl  wird  mich  einmal  vier 
Fahre  kosten!  *^  ("Sooner  or  later  that  fellow 
will  cost  me  four  years.")  Before  the  courts  this 
type  of  German  hero  pleads  that  he  "  has  no  knowl- 
edge of  having  committed  the  act,"  or  he  "  was  in 
such  a  rage,  that  he  had  lost  control  of  himself,  and 
cannot,  therefore,  be  held  responsible  for  his  ac- 
tions." A  German  magistrate  accepts  all  such  pleas 
In  good  faith,  he  takes  into  account  the  man*s  temper- 
ament, together  with  dozens  of  other  vague  consider- 
ations—  with  the  above  result.  But  if  a  drunken 
man  should  rave  insults  against  H.  M.  the  Kaiser, 
he  will  undoubtedly  send  him  to  prison  for  the  long- 
est term  which  the  law  allows. 

Treitschke  euphemistically  calls  war  a  "  national 
law-suit,"  and  declares  that  "  when  existing  condi- 
tions no  longer  correspond  to  the  proportion  of  rela- 
tive strengths.  If  the  State  cannot  prevail  upon  Its 
neighbour  to  yield  by  peaceful  means,  then  the  na- 
tional law-suit  commences  —  war."  ^^ 

Just  as  Nietzsche  considered  weakness  in  the  in- 
dividual a  vice,  so  for  Treitschke  weakness  in  the 
State  Is  a  supreme  sin  —  the  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost.  War  Is  the  only  remedy.  "We  may  as- 
sert with  certainty  that  war  is  the  only  cure  for  dls- 

16  "  Die  Politik,"  II.,  p.  553. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  183 

eased  nations."  ^'^  "  A  people  which  desires  to  rank 
among  the  powers  must,  from  time  to  time,  arouse 
and  develop  its  energies  by  war.  This  truth  has 
been  confirmed  again  and  again  that  a  people  only 
becomes  a  nation  through  war."  ^^ 

War  is,  then,  the  great  glorifier  of  mankind,  it 
founds  and  preserves  nations  (Incidentally  It  has  de- 
stroyed them),  without  war  there  is  no  progress, 
only  unmanly  degeneration.  Yet  even  Treltschke 
was  not  blind  to  war's  horrors,  although  he  iiVimedi- 
ately  transforms  the  horror  to  a  virtue.  "  Having 
to  overcome  one's  human  feelings  for  the  sake  of 
the  Fatherland  is  the  horrible  in  war,  but  in  that  lies 
its  greatness."  ^^  "  Its  sublime  majesty  consists  just 
In  this,  that  in  war  one  murders  without  passion."  ^^ 

Not  content  with  justifying  war  by  every  argu- 
ment drawn  from  expediency  and  inhumanity,  Trelt- 
schke finally  gives  war  divine  sanction;  on  page  552, 
volume  II.,  of  "  Die  Politik,"  he  writes  that  "  war 
Is  one  of  God's  ordinances."  In  another  place  he 
preaches  the  Inevitability  of  war  because  of  human 
nature,  the  laws  of  logic  and  the  plurality  of  States. 
Evidently  feeling  these  causes  to  be  insufficient  in 
themselves,  he  announces  that  God  wills  It.  Had 
Treltschke  qualified  his  assertion  by  stating  that 
"  the  German  God  ordains  war,"  humanity  would 
have  had  no  difficulty  in  accepting  his  theory.     A 

17  «  Die  Politik,"  I.,  p.  74.      ^»  Ibid.  1.,  p.  60.      ^^  Ibid.  Il.y  p.  ^61. 
20  Ibid.  L,  p.  77. 


184  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

thousand  years  ago  the  brave,  free  man  defended  his 
cause,  or  avenged  his  private  wrong,  with  his  own 
strong  arm.  Doubtless  he  considered  himself  an  in- 
strument of  divine  justice  and  his  sword  one  of  God^s 
ordinances.  To-day  an  individual  of  the  same  type 
and  class  must,  nolens  volens,  submit  his  private 
wrongs  to  the  adjudication  of  a  law  court.  Human 
progress  has  tended  to  eliminate  an  appeal  to  force 
In  differences  between  Individuals.  Noble  knights 
and  robber  knights  in  the  Middle  Ages  would  prob- 
ably have  declared  forcibly  and  precisely,  that  such 
causes  and  quarrels  as  theirs  would  never  in  this 
world  be  settled  by  any  other  means  than  the  sword ; 
history  and  human  development  give  them  their 
answer. 

Treltschke,  with  his  gospel  of  force,  stands  on  ex- 
actly the  same  ground  —  Internationally,  of  course 
—  as  a  robber  knight.  He  acclaims  armaments  the 
be-all  and  end-all  of  human  existence;  to  him  the 
means  —  at  best  a  necessary  evil  —  became  the  end, 
the  only  Ideal  worth  pursuing.  Applying  this  to  the 
Individual,  we  may  well  admire  the  art  of  self-defence 
within  certain  limits  and  even  admonish  our  youth 
to  attain  proficiency  In  It,  but  the  prophet  whose  mes- 
sage Insisted  that  every  man  should  subordinate  all 
his  earthly  Interests,  and  exert  all  his  energies  In  or- 
der to  become  a  Jack  Johnson,  would  be  rightly  con- 
sidered a  lunatic.  That  Is,  In  Its  final  result,  the  es- 
sence of  Treltschke's  message  to  nations.     Unfor- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  185 

tunately  Germany  welcomed  his  as  a  prophet,  the 
"  apostle  of  Germanism,"  and  from  that  date  Ger- 
many has  made  it  her  highest  ideal  to  become  a 
trained  prize-fighter  among  the  nations,  with  the  re- 
sult that  all  her  European  neighbours  have  been  com- 
pelled to  imitate  her  or,  according  to  Treitschke's 
doctrine,  cease  to  exist. 

But  Treitschke  would  belie  his  nationality  If  he 
overlooked  details.  His  swashbuckler  State  must 
not  be  wanting  in  arrogance,  must  not  forget  to  vaunt 
its  virtues  and  strength  in  orations  similar  to  those 
delivered  by  Homer's  heroes  on  the  eve  of  mortal 
combat.  "  Without  the  self-respect  which  Is  peculiar 
to  a  nation,  the  feeling  of  community  would  be  lack- 
ing. Fichte  says,  quite  truly,  *  A  nation  cannot  do 
without  arrogance  {Hochmut)  '  "  ^^  "  Without 
over-estimating  itself  no  nation  can  ever  attain  to  full 
consciousness  of  Itself."  22  In  another  passage: 
"It  Is  a  false  conception  of  the  moral  laws  of  politics 
to  charge  the  State  with  having  too  Irritable  a  feel- 
ing of  honour."  Considering  that  "  honour  "  Is  the 
cause  of  every  war  —  In  Treltschke's  opinion  — ' 
then  the  national  conception  of  honour  Is  all-Impor- 
tant. "  In  reality  war  is  never  waged  in  order  to 
protect  the  lives  and  goods  of  citizens,  but  for  the 
sake  of  honour."  ^s  (Contradicts  his  earlier  asser- 
tion, p.  177.)      In  another  chapter  It  has  been  shown 

21  "Die  PoHtik,"   L,   p.   282. 
^2  Ibid.    I.,    p.   29. 
23  Ibid.  I.,  p.  80. 


186  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

that  the  individual  German's  conception  of  personal 
honour  is  tainted  with  diseased  egoism.  The  writer 
avers  that  the  same  applies  to  German  national  hon- 
our —  it  is  based  upon  over-estimation  and  is  su- 
premely supersensitive. 

Intercourse  with  natives  of  other  countries  is  in 
no  case  so  difficult  as  intercourse  with  Germans  in 
Germany  itself.  In  the  shortest  possible  time  a  for- 
eigner in  German  society,  either  high  or  low,  would 
hear  the  alleged  weaknesses  and  faults  of  his  nation 
discussed.  Without  fear  of  contradiction,  the  author 
asserts,  that  no  other  nation  practises  and  takes  the 
same  joy  in  this  petty  game  of  pin-pricks  to  such  an 
extent  as  Germans.  They  are  too  unrefined  to  per- 
ceive the  bad  form,  and  to  morbidly  conceited  to 
allow  a  victim  to  retort. 

A  young  Nuremberg  lawyer,  in  recounting  such  a 
rencontre  with  an  English  lady  resident,  actually 
boasted  to  the  writer  that  he  had  caused  tears  to 
flow.  Only  praise  or  flattery  of  everything  German 
is  permissible ;  the  man  who  —  on  request  —  ex- 
pressed fair,  dispassionate  criticism  became  exceed- 
ingly unpopular.  The  report  would  be  circulated, 
''  Wie  der  iiher  Deutschland  und  die  Deutschen 
schimpft!^^  (**  How  he  abuses  Germany  and  the 
Germans.")  All  non-flattering  opinions  are  classed 
as  Schimpf  (abuse),  and  all  criticism  of  German 
policy  by  the  journals  of  other  lands  falls  under  the 
head  Hetzerei  (stirring  up  strife). 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  187 

For  some  years  past  hardly  a  week  has  gone  by 
but  the  writer  has  been  informed  by  the  German 
press,  '^  die  englische  Zeitungen  sind  schon  wieder 
hei  der  Hetzarbeit/^  ("the  English  papers  are  at  it 
again  "). 

Although  the  writer  followed  events  in  three  Lon- 
don dailies  (Standard,  Daily  Mail  and  Daily  News) , 
he  never  found  any  criticisms  of  Germany  which  a 
healthy-minded  non-conceited  nation  could  not  have 
read  without  anger.  But  he  read  in  German  papers 
only  too  frequently,  bitter,  vituperative  attacks  upon 
England  and  the  English,  such  as  a  decent  press 
and  a  cultured  public  could  not  tolerate  in  time  of 
peace.  Treitschke  preached  arrogance  and  conceit; 
Germany  has  made  a  fair  attempt  to  monopolize 
them  as  her  own  peculiar  virtues.  Adolf  Hausrath 
called  Treitschke  "  the  Prophet  of  the  national 
cause."  24 

Another  writer.  Count  Freytag-Loringboren,  Lt.- 
General  commanding  the  22nd  Division,  in  his  work 
entitled  "  War  and  Politics  in  Modern  Times " 
(Berlin,  191 1) ,  lauds  Treitschke  as  "  the  Apostle  of 
Germanism."  At  this  valuation  we  will  accept  him 
and  sum  up  the  apostle's  gospel  in  the  following 
form :  The  Hohenzollerns  are  the  only  earthly  mon- 
archs  possessing  divine  right.  Germans  are  the 
chosen  people  in  whose  hands  might  is  always  right. 

24 Adolf  Hausrath's   "Biography  of  Treitschke,"   p.   109. 


188  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

They  are  empowered  by  right  of  might  to  say  what 
they  please  of  other  peoples,  and  to  treat  them  as  they 
(the  Germans)  will. 


CHAPTER  X 

MORE  TREITSCHKIANA 

THE  "  national  law-suit  *'  having  commenced, 
Treltschke  is  very  explicit  as  to  the  manner  In 
which  It  must  be  waged;  the  object  of  war  Is,  above 
all,  to  stab  the  enemy  to  the  heart. 

War  Is  not  humanity  or  justice;  there  must  be  no 
sentlmentalism  to  disfigure  the  "  majesty  of  dispas- 
sionate murder."  Villages  and  towns  must  be  burnt 
down,  for  without  such  examples  It  Is  Impossible  to 
achieve  anything.  "  It  Is  not  humanity,  but  out- 
rageous weakness  If  the  German  Empire  In  modern 
times  does  not  act  according  to  these  principles.^ 

The  publications  of  the  Berlin  General  Staff  afford 
ample  proof  that  the  German  Empire  has  accepted 
this  doctrine  and  the  present  war  Is  an  Illustration  of 
Its  practice.  In  the  history  of  the  Boer  War  pub- 
lished by  the  General  Staff,  specified  charges  of  hu- 
manity are  made  against  both  Lord  Roberts  and 
Lord  Kitchener. 

The  tactics  of  the  former  at  Paardeburg  come 
in  for  special  censure.  It  was  an  error  for  Lord 
Roberts  to  starve  out  Cronje  and  his  four  thousand 
Boers.     The  position  should  have  been  taken  at  the 

i"Die  Politik,"  IL,  p.  565. 
189 


190  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

point  of  the  bayonet  and  several  thousand  Boers 
slain.  Such  a  lesson  in  cold  steel  and  "  frightful- 
ness  "  would  probably  have  shortened  the  Boer  War 
by  eighteen  months. 

From  the  technical  point  of  view  this  criticism  may 
be  justifiable,  but  in  view  of  the  consideration  that 
English  and  Boers  had  to  become  fellow-citizensi 
after  the  war,  the  General  Staff  is  wrong.  More- 
over, had  the  English  leaders  followed  German 
methods,  it  is  questionable  whether  the  Boers  would 
have  remained  loyal  during  the  present  crisis. 

On  one  point  Treitschke  is  more  generous  than  his 
compatriots  of  our  day.  He  permits  the  State  to 
employ  any  and  all  troops  at  its  disposal.  "  The 
right  of  a  State  to  make  use  of  all  its  fighting  forces 
in  war  is  indisputable,  no  matter  whether  they  are 
barbarians  or  civilized  men." 

On  a  small  scale  Germany  has  herself  employed 
black  troops  and  is  doing  so  now,  yet  the  advent  of 
the  Indian  troops  in  the  fighting  line  was  the  signal 
for  an  unprecedented  outbreak  of  hate  against  Eng- 
land. Simplicissimus  compared  the  British  forces  to 
a  menagerie.  A  Nuremberg  friend  wrote  to  the 
author  under  the  date  Nov.  13th,  1914: — "To  me 
it  seems  terribly  barbarous  on  the  part  of  England  to 
let  loose  these  wild  tribes  against  our  soldiers.  And 
if  the  hatred  for  England  has  risen  on  that  account 
to  the  highest  pitch  in  our  people,  it  is  perfectly  com- 
prehensible." 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  191 

Treitschke  defines  two  states  of  war  and  lays  down 
rules  for  the  conduct  of  both.  "  In  the  midst  of 
peace  a  condition  of  latent  war  may  exist  between  two 
States."  2  During  the  last  decade  the  "  latent  war  '' 
between  England  and  Germany  has  been  a  never-end- 
ing topic  of  conversation  in  the  Fatherland  as  well 
as  a  constant  theme  for  articles  in  German  reviews 
and  newspapers.  It  became  in  fact  part  and  parcel 
of  every  German's  political  creed.  Under  such  con- 
ditions —  according  to  Treitschke  —  the  Statesman 
is  permitted  to  take  precautions  before  actual  war- 
fare commences.  "  The  State  must  make  it  a  duty 
to  employ  traitors  in  the  enemy  State  for  its  own  in- 
terest. If  a  State  makes  use  of  its  enemy's  conspira- 
tors for  Its  own  ends,  this  is  certainly  permissible."  ^ 
As  Umfrid  writes  in  commenting  on  this  axiom, 
"  every  kind  of  infamy  Is  allowed  by  Treitschke." 
Justification  for  all  the  horrible  crimes  which  Ger- 
many has  committed  in  Belgium  and  France  may  be 
found  in  "  Die  Politik." 

The  Statesman  who  has  lost  the  "  national  law- 
suit "  will  find  little  sympathy  in  that  work.  "  A 
Statesman  has  no  right  to  warm  his  hands  over  the 
smoking  ruins  of  his  Fatherland  and  comfort  himself 
with,  *  I  have  never  lied.'  That  is  virtue  for  the 
monastery  but  not  for  Statecraft."  ^ 

We  have  been  surprised  at  German  intrigues  In 

2  "Die   Politik,"    II.,   p.    562.  ^  Ibid.   II.,   p.   560. 

^Ibid.  I.,  p.  no. 


192  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Egypt,  India  and  South  Africa,  and  the  na'iVe  sec- 
tion of  the  British  public,  who  believed  German 
Statesmen's  protestations  of  love  and  peace,  have  re- 
ceived a  still  ruder  shock.  Yet  lying  has  always  been 
the  foundation  stone  of  German  policy. 

On  August  1st,  19 14,  the  semi-official  Cologne 
Gazette  published  a  statement  that  Germany  had  no 
intention  of  violating  Belgian  territory.  Martial 
law  had  been  proclaimed  one  day  before,  which 
means  that  even  if  the  article  in  question  did  not  actu- 
ally originate  in  the  German  Foreign  Office,  it  had 
at  least  been  passed  by  the  official  censor.  Before 
the  acquisition  of  Kiau  Chou,  Germany  assured  the 
world  that  she  had  absolutely  no  intention  of  obtain- 
ing territorial  aggrandizement.  Yet  when  the 
treaty,  leasing  this  portion  of  China  to  her  had  been 
signed,  the  Kaiser  informed  its  negotiator.  Prince 
Hohenlohe,^  by  telegram  that  he  had  just  emptied  a 
glass  of  champagne  to  his  health  and  congratulated 
him  upon  having  extended  Germany's  dominions. 
The  devious  and  tortuous  paths  of  German  State- 
craft would,  however,  be  far  less  irritating,  if  Ger- 
many did  not  claim  a  monopoly  of  the  innocence  of 
the  dove.  The  cunning  of  the  serpent  she  possesses 
in  a  Machiavellian  degree. 

Lying  and  spying  go  hand  in  hand;  spying  Is  an- 
other of  the  State's  sacred  duties.  Englishmen  who 
have  suffered  from  the  so-called  "  spymania  "  will 

^  Hohenlohe's    "  Denkwiirdigkeiten,"    Vol.   II.,   p.    533. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  198 

not  feel  relieved  at  Treitschke's  dictum,  that  "  in 
modern  national  wars  every  good  subject  is  a  spy, 
therefore  the  expulsion  of  eighty  thousand  Germans 
from  France  in  1870  was  a  correct  measure." 
Judging  from  what  he  has  observed  of  the  polite, 
prying  German,  in  family,  business  and  social  life  in 
Germany  itself,  the  writer  is  inclined  to  believe 
Treitschke  —  if  that  writer  intended  his  remarks  to 
mean  Germans  —  when  he  states  that  "  every  good 
[German]  subject  "  is  a  latent,  and  when  opportunity 
arises,  an  active  spy.  Germany's  remarkable  achieve- 
ments In  the  domain  of  spying  should  cause  no  as- 
tonishment to  those  who  know  Germany  and  German 
character. 

Returning  to  Treitschke's  State  there  is  still  the 
question  of  treaty  obligations  to  discuss.  As  the 
State  recognizes  no  superior  power  on  earth.  It  Is 
evident  that  a  binding  treaty  is  something  which  It 
must  regard  with  disfavour.  "  Every  State  for  Its 
own  sake  will  limit  its  own  sovereignty  in  certain  re- 
spects. When  States  conclude  treaties  with  one  an- 
other, then  their  completeness  as  powers  has  been 
limited  to  a  certain  extent. 

"  A  State  cannot  bind  its  will  for  the  future  In 
regard  to  another  State.  The  State  has  no  higher 
judge  above  It  and  therefore  it  will  always  conclude 
treaties  with  this  mental  reservation.  Every  power 
has  the  right  to  declare  war  whenever  It  chooses,  and 
as  treaties  are  cancelled  by  a  declaration  of  war,  so 


194*  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

every  State  can  get  rid  of  Its  treaties.  Every  State 
must  see  to  it,  that  its  treaties  remain  vigorous  and 
do  not  become  obsolete,  thereby  Inducing  another 
power  to  end  them  by  war.  Treaties  which  no 
longer  correspond  to  existing  conditions  must  be  de- 
nounced and  new  ones,  corresponding  to  the  new 
order  of  things,  must  take  their  place.  From  these 
premises  it  follows  that  the  establishment  of  an  In- 
ternational Arbitration  Court  Is  Incompatible  with 
the  nature  of  a  State."  ^ 

This  IS  the  "  scrap  of  paper  "  doctrine  In  Its  most 
brutally  frank  form.  A  pledge  may  be  given  for 
the  moment,  but  it  Is  not  binding  for  the  morrow. 
The  State  recognizes  no  higher  power  than  Itself,  not 
even  humanity.  So  long  as  It  is  profitable  and  con- 
venient to  observe  a  treaty  —  that  is  the  honour- 
able course;  but  when  the  same  promise  is  unprofit- 
able. It  Is  obsolete  —  and  "  honour  "  demands  that 
it  be  broken.  In  other  words  profit,  honour  and  ex- 
pediency are  synonymous  terms  in  Germany's  code 
of  morality. 

The  root  must  again  be  sought  In  Treltschke's  Idea 
of  power.  Promises  may  be  made,  but  Germany 
only  intends  to  keep  them  so  long  as  the  other  State 
Is  strong  enough  to  compel  her  to  do  so  by  force. 
In  August,  19 14,  Germany  probably  believed  that 
England  was  unable  to  protect  Belgium's  neutrality 
—  therefore  in  dishonouring  her  promise  Germany 

6 "Die  Politik,"  I.,  pp.  37-8. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  195 

had  the  justice  of  might  on  her  side.  But  it  is  still 
more  likely  that  she  beHeved  England  would  be  un- 
willing  to  defend  her  pledged  word.  Whichever 
supposition  is  right,  the  result  remains  the  same  — 
Germany  did  not  possess  the  moral  impulse  (called 
honour) ,  which  compels  an  individual  or  a  nation  to 
fulfil  an  obligation  which  was  binding  both  morally 
and  legally. 

Furthermore  Germany  broke  her  promise  on  prin- 
ciple, for  it  is  one  of  the  written  laws  in  her  code  of 
Statecraft,  that  a  treaty  is  only  binding  so  long  as  the 
State  wills  it  to  be  binding.  A  State  does  not  exist 
in  order  to  keep  Its  promises  to  other  States,  or  as 
Treitschke  expresses  himself :  "  The  State  is  not 
there  in  order  to  vaunt  flags  or  for  the  clanking  of 
spurs  and  scabbards,  but  Its  mission  is  to  force  a  way 
for  justice  on  earth."  Justice,  however,  does  not 
mean  treating  your  weaker  neighbours  with  consider- 
ation or  observing  your  written  pledges  to  them. 
Nor  can  they  make  any  claim,  because  they  do  not 
possess  the  might  to  enforce  it.  Justice  is  merely 
what  might  can  accomplish.  It  is  moral  and  just 
for  Germany  to  crush  Belgium  because  she  has  the 
power  to  do  it.  A  way  for  justice  has  been  forced 
through  Belgium,  and  if  Treltschke's  yearnings 
should  ever  be  realized  a  corresponding  "  path  of 
justice  "  will  be  cut  through  Holland.  His  biog- 
rapher,   Hausrath,"^    reports    a    conversation    with 

''' Hausrath's  "  Erinnerungen,"  p.  ii8. 


196  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Treitschke  about  colonies.  "  Cameroons,"  ex- 
claimed Treitschke,  "  what  do  we  want  with  that 
sand-heap  I  .  Let  us  take  Holland,  and  then  we  shall 
have  some  colonies.'*  Hausrath  remarks  that  it  was 
a  good  thing  Treitschke  did  not  express  such  opinions 
in  the  press.  But  he  did  in  his  university  lectures,  as 
given  in  "  Die  Politik,"  L,  p.  ii8.  **  Germany  will 
be  happy  only  when  she  possesses  the  whole  of  her 
river  [the  Rhine].  It  must  be  the  indispensable  task 
of  German  policy  to  win  back  the  mouth  of  that 
stream."  In  its  essence  this  is  precisely  the  advice 
which  Jezebel  gave  to  Ahab  in  regard  to  Naboth's 
vineyard,  but  it  may  well  be  doubted  whether  Hol- 
land's vineyard  would  give  the  German  Ahab  content- 
ment or  happiness,  while  it  is  certain  that  its  posses- 
sion would  only  be  employed  as  a  means  to  attack  the 
next  vineyard.  When  we  consider  Germany's  un- 
precedented progress  during  the  last  forty  years  dis- 
passionately, we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  Ger- 
many has  no  reason  to  be  dissatisfied  with  her  na- 
tional lot,  but  an  insatiable  avarice  such  as  that  from 
which  all  Germany  is  suffering,  could  never  lead  a 
nation  to  peaceful  contentment,  even  if  Germany 
were  mistress  of  the  world.  Its  only  cure  is  eradica- 
tion, by  the  same  instrument  with  which  she  hoped  to 
dominate  Europe  —  viz.,  the  sword.  Treitschke's 
teachings  could  only  have  obtained  their  firm  hold  on 
the  people,  because  of  the  innate  predisposition  to 
the  exercise  of  brute  force  which  lies  in  the  national 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  197 

character,  another  essential  constituent  of  which  is 
greed.  In  this  soil  the  seeds  of  Treitschkeanism,  or 
Ahabism,  have  developed  into  a  national  gospel. 
For  that  reason  a  member  of  the  German  peace  so- 
ciety ^  wrote  in  his  book  against  him :  — "  If 
Treitschke  had  no  apostles  I  would  not  quarrel  with 
him.  But  as  he  has  founded  a  school,  and  as  his 
name  is  shouted  like  a  battle-cry  from  the  opposing 
camp,  he  must  be  attacked.  Treitschke  is  the  Ger- 
man historian  who  has  dragged  the  Muse  of  history 
from  her  lofty  throne  on  to  the  side  of  party,  and 
of  national  aggression.  It  is  he  who  has  given  the 
halo  of  principle  and  justice  to  actually  performed 
deeds  of  political  violence." 

If  Germany's  deeds  of  political  violence  had  led  to 
peace  and  progress  in  those  lands  against  which  they 
were  perpetrated,  some  justification  might  be  pleaded 
in  their  defence.  But  those  territories  upon  which 
Germany  has  imposed  her  will  are  to-day  the  most 
discontented  of  all  the  domains  under  the  rule  of 
Kaiser  Wilhelm  II.  Prussian  Poland  is  the  foreign 
province  which  has  been  longest  under  the  German 
heel,  hence  the  most  progress  may  be  expected  in 
that  unfortunate  land.  Yet  after  a  century  the  Poles 
are  more  national,  more  anti-Prussian  than  at  its  be- 
ginning.    A  hundred  years  of  Germanization,  de- 

s  O.  Umfrid,  in  his  "  Anti-Treitschke."  This  is  the  only  protest 
against  Treitschke  which  the  author  has  been  able  to  trace,  but  he 
could  name  a  great  many  German  works  lauding  Treitschke  as 
Germany's  apostle. 


198  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

void  of  any  element  of  reconciliation,  pregnant  with 
oppression  and  repression  (efforts  have  been  made 
to  blot  out  even  the  Polish  language),  finds  Poland 
as  far  as  ever  from  accepting  the  German  idea. 

Five  years  ago  the  Prussian  Diet  passed  a  measure 
by  which  Polish  lands  could  be  expropriated  to  the 
crown.  Since  that  brutal  act  any  Polish  landowner, 
whose  sympathies  were  not  sufficiently  Prussian,  could 
be  ejected  —  at  a  price  fixed  by  royal  commissioners 
—  and  his  lands  divided  into  small  holdings  for  the 
benefit  of  imported  German  peasants.  Even  this  pro- 
cedure has  failed  to  create  a  pro-Prussian  populace 
in  torn  and  tyrannized  Poland.  The  colonizing- 
military  German  is  himself  a  trained,  drilled,  human 
tiger,  and  h^  endeavours,  by  perfection  of  system,  to 
force  the  inhabitants  of  conquered  lands  into  the 
same  mould;  fortunately  every  branch  of  the  human 
family  does  not  fit  into  the  Prussian  mould.  The 
system  has  too  few  human  and  humane  elements ;  it 
does  not  permit  the  individual  to  expand  according 
to  his  nature,  neither  does  it  accord  him  even  that 
degree  of  justice  which  is  essential  to  build  up  a  com- 
munity of  healthy,  happy,  contented  human  beings. 
One  German  authority  may  be  quoted  to  bear  out 
these  statements.  Professor  Delbriick  held  a  course 
of  lectures  in  Berlin  University  on  Regierung  und 
Volkswille  (Government  and  the  Will  of  the  Peo- 
ple). In  19 14  he  published  them  and  is  responsible 
for  the  information  that  Polish  children  are  com- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  199 

pelled  to  learn  German;  Polish  recruits  as  a  pre- 
cautionary measure  are  divided  among  various  regi- 
ments. According  to  Delbriick  enormous  sums  have 
been  spent  in  the  expropriation  of  Polish  estates  and 
he  admits  that  during  the  last  twenty-five  years  no 
progress  has  been  made  in  the  work  of  pacification; 
on  the  contrary,  the  Poles  are  more  anti-German  than 
ever  before. 

Treitschke's  concept  of  domination  is  best  illus- 
trated by  the  examples  which  he  himself  cites.^  In 
certain  parts  of  Russia  —  Livland,  Kurland  and 
Esnia  —  the  nobility  are  of  German  origin  —  con- 
querors in  previous  centuries.  These  supermen 
have  kept  the  people  up  till  1865,  when  slavery 
{Leiheigenschaft)  was  abolished,  in  a  state  of  bar- 
barism in  order  that  the  few  could  govern  the  many. 
That  system  of  colonization  meets  with  Treitschke's 
entire  approval;  naturally  it  would,  for  it  is  the 
realization  of  the  German  idea.^^  Nevertheless,  it 
is  a  gross  injustice,  when  modern  Germans,  from 
their  lofty  pedestal  of  Kultur,  denounce  in  no  meas- 
ured terms  Russian  barbarism,  for  that  selfsame 
barbarism,  in  vast  tracts  of  western  and  southwest 
Russia,  is  almost  entirely  due  to  the  reactionary  domi- 
nation of  German  landowners.  In  1907  the 
author  made   the   acquaintance  of  an  Esnian  lady 

9  "  Die  Politik,"  L,  p.  127. 

^^  Ibid.  I.,  p.  206.  In  discussing  Alsace-Lorraine,  Treitschke 
says  that  a  conquered  land  has  no  rights,  only  to  be  governed  by 
force    {Siaatsgeivalt) . 


200  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

resident  In  Munich,  and  from  her  heard  how  these 
barons  retain  all  their  national  feelings  and  lan- 
guage,^^  and  how  the  young  girls  on  their  estates  are 
compelled  to  render  the  same  privileges  to  these  Ger- 
man-Russians in  the  twentieth  century  which  robber 
knights  exacted  from  female  serfs  in  the  golden  days 
of  medievalism. 

Russian  hatred  for  Germanism  is  not  without 
cause,  and  this  ruling  class  in  certain  parts  of  Russia 
is  not  supporting  Russia  in  the  present  struggle,  but 
we  may  be  sure  is  assisting  the  invading  German 
armies  by  every  means  in  its  power  —  especially  with 
the  characteristic  German  weapon  known  as  spying. 

The  essence  of  Treitschke's  gospel  being  the  de- 
velopment of  brute  force  and  its  use  for  aggression 
and  national  aggrandizement  by  war,  it  cannot  be 
expected  that  his  attitude  to  peace  could  be  friendly. 
His  bitterest  gibes  are  directed  against  those  who 
strive  to  reduce  armaments  and  promote  world  peace. 
In  one  lecture  Treitschke  exclaimed :  "  These  de- 
fenders of  eternal  peace  are  altogether  a  set  of 
wrong-headed  people  I  '*  Certainly  this  sentiment 
contains  a  minimum  of  tolerance  towards  opponents. 
He  always  betrays  the  same  irritation  in  dealing  with 
peace  proposals.     "  The  blind  admirers  of  perpetual 

11  The  German  secret  report  published  in  the  French  Yellow 
Book  expresses  the  hope  that  "  the  thousands  of  our  German 
brothers  who  groan  under  the  yoke  of  the  Slav  in  the  Baltic 
provinces"  will  again  come  under  the  German  flag.  The  anony- 
mous author  maintains  that  it  is  a  "  national  matter  "  to  win  them 
for  Germany  again. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  201 

peace  are  guilty  of  an  error  in  logic,  in  that  they 
either  isolate  the  State  or  dream  of  a  World-State 
which  we  have  already  shown  to  be  an  unreasonable 
[foolish]  thing."  12 

"  All  the  Peace-Pipe-Smokers  in  the  world  will 
never  be  able  to  bring  about  a  condition  of  things,  in 
which  all  the  political  powers  are  of  one  mind,  and 
if  they  are  not,  only  the  sword  can  decide  between 
them." 

His  ostensible  arguments  against  world  peace  are 
that  it  Is  incompatible  with  human  nature  and  that 
the  State  Is  its  own  judge,  two  points  of  view  which 
have  already  been  dealt  with  In  this  work. 

In  discussing  arbitration,  he  assumes  that  no  court 
could  be  Impartial;  furthermore  It  is  a  crime  against 
its  sovereignty  for  a  State  to  permit  other  people  to 
decide  upon  matters  touching  Its  Interests;  lastly  no 
arbitration  court  possesses  the  necessary  authority  to 
enforce  its  rulings ;  but  it  is  at  least  daring  to  assume 
that  such  a  court,  possessing  the  required  dignity. 
Impartiality  and  authority,  can  never  be  founded.  It 
Is,  however,  capable  of  historical  proof  that  Ger- 
many has  done  everything  within  Its  power  to  post- 
pone the  creation  of  this  court  into  the  dim  mists  of 
the  future.  "  In  the  question  of  Alsace-Lorraine,  no 
judge  could  be  Impartial.  Further,  it  Is  a  matter  of 
honour  for  a  State  to  arbitrate  such  a  question  itself. 
That  Is  to  say,  there  can  never  be  a  decisive  Interna- 
tional Arbitration  Tribunal.     The  sword,  however, 

12  "Die   Politik,"    I.,   p.    73. 


g02  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

will  retain  its  right  to  the  end  of  the  world;  therein 
lies  the  sacredness  of  war."  ^^ 

Unfortunately  for  Treitschke's  position  two  pal- 
pable fallacies  may  be  pointed  out  in  the  above 
passage.  He  argues  that  the  State's  honour  makes 
such  a  court  impossible,  but  he  overlooks  the  fact 
that  the  premise  —  the  concept  of  honour  —  is  a 
varying  and  by  no  means  a  constant  factor.  Ger- 
many's standard  of  honour  means  irreconcilability, 
declines  any  form  of  compromise  and  declares  it  dis- 
honourable to  unbend,  to  meet  a  conquered  subject 
half  way,  or  to  allow  him  any  other  justice  than  the 
type  known  as  the  "  mailed  fist." 

If  all  sovereign  States  accept  this  ideal,  then  the 
prospects  for  arbitration  are  bad  indeed.  In  former 
times  individuals  accepted  this  so-called  "  honour," 
but  with  the  exception  of  German  duellists  and  a  few 
others,  including  barbarous  and  man-eating  tribes, 
civilized  men  have  long  ago  abandoned  it.  Hence, 
there  is  every  reason  to  hope  that  nations  —  which 
after  all  are  made  up  of  individuals,  and  ultimately 
express  the  sum-total  of  their  personal  ideals  —  will 
also  abandon  Germany's  barbarian  standard  of 
honour.  Treitschke  defined  war  in  another  place  as 
*'  dispassionate  murder.'*  Because  this  form  of 
murder  has  existed  from  time  immemorial,  he  pre- 
sumes that  it  will  last  till  the  end  of  the  world  — 
therefore  it  is  sacred  —  one  of  God's  ordinances. 
18  "Die   Politik,"   I.,   p.    38. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  203 

Since  the  first  murder  of  passion  —  Cain's  murder  of 
his  brother  —  was  committed,  murder  has  never 
ceased  in  the  earth  and  we  may  presume  that  it  never 
will.  Therefore  according  to  Treitschke's  logic 
"  passionate  murder  "  is  also  sacred,  and  another  di- 
vine ordinance. 

One  of  his  historical  Instances,  quoted  to  show 
the  horror  of  peaceful  tendencies,  Is  the  flight  of 
Dutch  merchants  before  the  invading  armies  of  Louis 
XIV.  His  comment  is:  *'  This  is  the  kind  of  un- 
speakable shame,  to  which  the  cowardly  madness  of 
those  people  leads,  who  hold  peace  to  be  the  highest 
and  greatest  blessing." 

If  space  permitted  a  great  many  passages  might 
be  quoted  showing  that  Treitschke's  glorification  of 
war  and  brute  force  Is  at  bottom  mere  envy  and 
greed.  Envy  of  those  better  placed,  and  the  lust  to 
gain  their  possessions  by  war.  "  In  the  dividing  up 
of  the  world  between  the  European  powers,  Ger- 
many has  always  fared  too  badly.  And  it  is  a  vital 
existence-question  for  us  whether  we  can  become  a 
power  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean.  Otherwise  we 
are  faced  with  the  monstrous  prospect  that  England 
and  Russia  will  divide  the  world  between  themselves, 
and  one  hardly  knows  which  would  be  the  more  Im- 
moral and  more  horrible  of  the  two  —  the  Russian 
knout  or  the  English  purse."  ^* 

Evidently  Treitschke  left  his  hearers  to  conclude 

14  "  Die  Politik,"  I.,  pp.  42-3. 


204  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

that  the  German  sword  is  better  than  either  knout  or 
purse,  although  after  the  advertisement  given  to  the 
German  sword  and  Kultur  during  the  present  war, 
the  world  in  general  might  well  hesitate  to  concur 
in  their  alleged  superiority.  In  addition  to  which 
the  snee-r  at  England's  purse  must  seem  strained  to 
those  who  possess  the  most  superficial  acquaintance 
with  German  character. 

No  other  country  suffers  from  avaricious  love  of 
money  in  the  same  degree  as  modern  Germany. 
The  Englishman  loves  money  for  the  power  which 
it  gives,  and  delights  in  spending  it;  while  the  Ger- 
man will  sell  his  soul  and  honour  to  get  lucre  for 
the  miser's  joy  In  hoarding  and  worshipping  it,  i.e., 
the  German  loves  money  for  itself. 

Treitschke  was  not  even  content  with  Mother 
Nature's  treatment  of  his  Fatherland,  and  in  decry- 
ing the  lack  of  nature's  bounty  he  exclaims :  "  This 
Germany  with  her  disgusting  coasts  was  once  the 
greatest  maritime  power  in  the  world  and,  God  wil- 
ling, she  shall  be  again."  With  true  German  logic 
he  envies  and  hates  the  power  which  is  first. 
Throughout  all  his  works,  the  petty-minded  man 
speaks,  who  lives  In  a  cottage  and  hates  the  resident 
in  a  villa.  It  Is  the  hate  of  ignorance,  for  Treitschke 
never  saw  England  till  two  years  before  his  death 
and  then  only  for  two  months. 

If  these  lines  should  meet  the  eye  of  any  English- 
men who  showed  him  hospitality  at  the  end  of  1894, 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  205 

the  following  extract  may  enlighten  them  as  to  the 
depths  of  German  ingratitude.  His  friend  Paul 
Bailleu  in  his  obituary  sketch  of  Treitschke,  which 
appeared  in  the  monthly  Deutsche  Rundschau  during 
1896,  describes  Treitschke's  first  meeting  with  his 
friends  after  his  return  from  England.  Treitschke 
is  talking  and  before  his  hearers  "  an  English  railway 
station  with  its  ugly  placards  appears,  which  disgusts 
him.  Then  an  hotel  and  English  guests  and  their 
manners,  which  enrage  him.  (One  listener  utters  a 
mild  protest,  while  a  second  reminds  him  of  Heine's 
diatribes  against  England.)  Far  too  mild  for  me, 
he  exclaimed,  and  the  incomparable  force  of  his 
stream  of  satiric  description  carried  us  all  irresistibly 
away.  Again  and  again  we  stood  up,  aroused  to  the 
highest  pitch  of  enthusiasm  by  the  passionate  power 
of  his  eloquence,  which  like  a  primeval  force  of  na- 
ture poured  from  him  in  sublimest  words,  expressing 
the  most  ideal  world-view,  but  often  too  blazing  up 
into  flames  of  burning  rage." 

Unfortunately  Herr  Bailleu  does  not  record  the 
opinions  on  England  which  fired  the  enthusiasm  of 
that  little  gathering  of  peace-loving  Teutons.  Per- 
haps it  included  an  imaginary  description  of  London 
falling  into  German  hands,  a  possibility  mentioned 
by  Treitschke  on  another  occasion.^^ 

In  view  of  Germany's  alliance  with  Turkey, 
Treitschke's  opinion  of  that  power  is  of  interest. 

«  "  Die  PoHtik,"  I.,  p.  77. 


g06  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

"  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  In  the  near  future  the  disgrace 
will  be  blotted  out  that  such  a  power  should  ever  have 
established  itself  on  European  soil. 

"  What  has  the  Turkish  Empire  achieved  in  three 
centuries?  It  has  only  destroyed.  It  came  rushing 
over  the  Occident  like  a  huge  avalanche  of  evil  things, 
annihilating  everything  before  it.  Turkey  is  irre- 
claimable and  will  remain  so  in  spite  of  all  promises 
of  freedom.  To  our  mode  of  thought  it  is  a  foreign 
world,  which  cannot  be  reformed  according  to 
European  ideas,  but  can  only  be  overthrown.''  ^^ 

At  last  the  author  has  found  something  in 
Treitschke's  creed  which  is  common  to  his  own.  It 
is  the  irony  of  history  that  Treitschke's  ideal  State 
is  now  allied  to  the  "  avalanche  of  evil  things  "  in  a 
common  effort  to  annihilate  civilization.  But  the 
alliance  will  not  have  been  in  vain  if  Treitschke's 
wish  is  realized  and  rotten  Turkey  is  cast  out  of  the 
European  community. 

Before  leaving  Treitschke,  his  attitude  to  religion 
deserves  brief  mention.  Hausrath  ^'^  says  he  called 
himself  a  freethinker,  adding  that  great  patience  was 
necessary  to  hear  his  constant  attacks  on  the  theolo- 
gians. "  He  never  spoke  of  the  clergy  than  as  die 
Pfaffen  [expresses  great  contempt],  and  they  were 
in  his  opinion,  a  very  inferior  class  of  men."  This 
too  is  worthy  of  note  in  deciding  his  ultimate  influ- 
ence upon  his  country. 

16  "Die  PoHtik,"  II.,  p.  33.  "  Hausrath's  " Erinnerungen,"  p.  128. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  £07 

According  to  another  eulogizer  ^^  he  was  a  "  Poet, 
Artist,  Historian,  Teacher,  Orator  and  Publicist 
whose  influence  is  paramount  upon  the  German  his- 
torians of  to-day.  Not  these  alone,  but  the  whole  of 
educated  Germany  looks  up  to  him  as  a  Prophet  and 
Germany's  Apostle. '* 

The  nation  has  absorbed  only  too  thoroughly  his 
mad,  poisonous  gospel  of  brute  force  and  aggression, 
as  the  highest  human  ideal,  and  it  would  be  hard  to 
decide  who  is  more  blood-guilty  —  his  dupes  who 
precipitated  the  present  war,  or  Treitschke  himself 
who  conceived  the  idea  and  made  armaments  an  Idol, 
and  war  a  sacred  duty. 

18  Marx's  Lecture,   "  Heinrich  von  Treitschke,"  1906. 


CHAPTER  XI 

"  THE   REPTILE    PRESS  " —  BISMARCK 

THE  purpose  of  the  chapters  on  Germany's 
schools,  universities,  churches,  etc.,  has  been 
to  show  the  soil  upon  which  the  poison  of  Pan- 
Germanism  has  flourished  —  in  short,  the  conditions 
which  favoured  the  growth  of  that  remarkable  plant. 
Those  institutions  have  served  not  only  as  seed-beds, 
but  also  as  channels  through  which  the  baneful  ideas 
of  aggression  by  brute  force,  Germany's  mission  as  a 
world  power,  have  been  disseminated.  Probably 
these  alone  would  have  been  insufficient;  they  repre- 
sent largely  the  domains  within  reach  of  the  "  spoken 
word."  But  the  power  of  the  "  printed  word  "  is 
infinitely  greater. 

The  eloquence  of  a  great  preacher  moves  just  as 
many  people  as  may  be  able  to  find  sitting  or  stand- 
ing room  within  the  four  walls  of  his  church;  the 
newspaper,  however,  penetrates  into  nearly  every 
home,  and  its  appeal  is  made  to  a  *'  congregation  " 
counted  by  hundreds  of  thousands,  which  is  certainly 
a  reason  why  the  national  press  should  be  honest  and 
free. 

Germans  claim  that  the  first  newspaper  originated 
in  Augsburg  in  the  form  of  commercial  and  shipping 

208 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  209 

leaflets  given  out  by  the  great  merchant  family 
Fugger,  of  that  city.  Whether  this  be  true  or  not  is 
a  matter  only  of  historical  interest,  but  it  is  of  im- 
mediate interest  to  note  that  the  German  press  has 
been  left  centuries  behind  by  that  of  at  least  three 
other  European  powers :  England,  France,  and  Italy. 
In  respect  to  freedom,  personnelle^  independence, 
speed  of  publication,  uprightness,  truthfulness,  its 
telegraphic  and  other  services,  its  circulation  and  dis- 
tributive organizations,  the  London  press  is  sep- 
arated from  that  of  Germany  —  to  the  latter's  disad- 
vantage —  by  a  great  gulf. 

Enlightened  Teutons  often  complain  about  the 
grandmotherliness  which  distinguishes  many  phases 
of  their  public  life.  Nowhere,  perhaps,  is  the 
"  grandmother  "  idea  more  applicable  than  to  the 
German  newspaper  press,  added  to  which  she  is  a 
nasty,  virulent-tongued  old  lady  of  the  very  worst 
grandmother  type.  She  does  not  express  the  broad 
tenets  of  public  opinion;  ^  neither  does  she  form  and 
educate  the  latter  in  the  best  sense,  but  gives  herself 
up  to  violent  splenetic  vapourings  or  heavy  Ger- 
man sneers.  Notwithstanding  these  facts,  her  utter- 
ances are  accepted  as  gospel  truths  by  untold  millions. 

1  There  is  no  consolidated  enlightened  public  opinion  in  Ger- 
many. It  is  the  State's  first  instinct  of  self-preservation  to  prevent 
such  a  phenomenon  from  making  an  appearance.  There  are  no 
broadly  accepted  standards  of  right  and  wrong,  which  should  ex- 
press the  national  conscience,  but  rather  a  great  many  warring 
atoms  of  political,  religious,  and  social  creeds,  loosely  held  together 
by  ties  of  nationality  and  a  united  dislike  of  England. 


aiO  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

When  speaking  of  the  British  press  the  average 
man  thinks  at  once  of  the  London  dailies.  But  the 
German  press  is  not  represented  by  the  newspapers 
pubHshed  In  Berlin.  In  fact,  at  least  two  important 
organs  have  their  home  In  Cologne  and  Frankfort- 
on-the-Main,  viz.,  the  Kolnische  Zeitung  and  Frank- 
furter Zeitung,  These  two,  with  the  Berliner  Tage- 
blatt,  are  the  only  three  dailies  to  which  one  may  with 
any  stretch  of  the  imagination  apply  the  adjective 
"  great."  In  common  with  all  important  organs, 
they  are  cumbersome  affairs,  Issued  In  five  daily 
editions. 

Many  local  papers  have  one  daily  edition,  but 
every  paper  of  importance  has  at  least  two,  a 
Morgen-  and  Ahendhlatt.  The  following  instance 
will  serve  as  an  illustration  of  their  slow  methods: 

The  Austrian  crown  prince  and  his  consort  were 
murdered  on  the  morning  of  June  28th,  and  the 
tragedy  was  announced  In  the  evening  of  the  same 
day  by  telegrams  posted  outside  newspaper-offices. 
On  Monday  morning  (June  29th)  at  8  130  the  author 
asked  for  a  newspaper  at  the  railway  bookstall  in 
Erlangen  —  there  was  none  to  be  had.  An  hour 
later  he  Inquired  at  the  same  source  In  Nuremberg, 
only  to  learn  that  no  papers  had  arrived  yet.  Later 
in  the  day  local  and  outside  journals  were  on  sale, 
containing  a  meagre  account  of  the  murder.  On 
Tuesday  two  London  papers  arrived  (published  on 
Monday   morning),    which    gave    several    columns 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  211 

about  the  murder,  biographies  of  its  victims,  por- 
traits of  them  and  views  of  Serajevo,  etc.  The 
German  papers,  also,  which  were  published  on  the 
same  Tuesday  contained  pretty  full  accounts,  most 
of  which,  however,  had  been  gleaned  from  English 
papers  published  on  Monday,  June  aQth.^  On  the 
following  Thursday  in  a  lecture  to  a  number  of  young 
men  in  training  for  the  State  Secondary  Schools  the 
author  produced  the  English  and  German  papers,  to 
point  out  how  much  quicker  London  journals  col- 
lected and  distributed  news  in  all  parts  of  the  world 
—  a  lesson  for  which  the  hearers  displayed  no  sign 
of  gratitude. 

Even  the  richest  concerns  have  comparatively  few 
correspondents  scattered  about  their  own  country, 
while  outside  its  limits  their  foreign  correspondents 
are  indeed,  few  and  far  between.  For  news  they 
rely  almost  entirely  upon  press  agencies  —  including 
the  officially  subsidized  Wolff  Agency  —  London 
and  Paris  papers. 

On  many  occasions  the  writer  has  told  Germans 
that  the  Great  English  dailies  had  a  correspondent 
In  every  important  city  of  the  world,  but  the  informa- 
tion was  received  as  If  It  were  worthy  of  Baron 

2  Dr.  Karl  Peters,  in  his  book  on  England,  refers  in  drastic  terms 
to  the  backwardness  of  the  German  journalistic  world.  He  states 
that  the  principal  instruments  in  the  German  editor's  office  are  a 
pair  of  scissors,  a  pot  of  paste,  and  a  brush.  It  is  true.  Big  Ger- 
man papers  steal  by  means  of  telegraph  and  letter-post,  the  smaller 
fry  with  scissors  and  paste-brush. 


212  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Miinchhausen  or  with  the  qualification  that  the 
English  government  must  pay  huge  sums  to  those 
papers  as  a  kind  of  national  propaganda.  Journal- 
istic enterprise  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  an  un- 
known factor  in  modern  Germany. 

In  1906  a  London  daily  commissioned  the  author 
to  visit  Augsburg  and  interview  Major  Parseval  con- 
cerning his  airship.  The  writer  was  received  most 
kindly,  but  with  naive  amazement  that  a  journal 
could  spend  so  much  money  —  about  Rvq  pounds  — 
for  such  an  object. 

Few  people  in  Germany  ever  believed  that  when 
the  Standard  changed  hands  about  seven  hundred 
thousand  pounds  was  paid  for  it;  while  a  little 
pamphlet  published  by  the  Daily  Mail  describing  its 
rise  and  growth  aroused  mirthful  ridicule.  The 
average  German  could  not  be  convinced  that  his 
Fatherland  had  anything  to  learn  from  other  coun- 
tries in  respect  to  journalism. 

A  healthy-toned  national  press  has  long  been  one 
of  Germany's  most  crying  needs;  responsible  jour- 
nals, which,  like  a  great  searchlight,  would  have 
illumined  the  dark  corners  of  barrack  life,  the  cynical 
injustice  of  courts-martial,  the  white-slavery  among 
shop-girls  and  waitresses,  the  brutal  egoism  of  stu- 
dent life  —  In  short,  the  thousand  and  one  evils  and 
shams  hidden  under  brilliant  uniforms,  which  effec- 
tively prevent  the  elements  of  justice  and  good  feel- 
ing between  man  and  man.     Instead  of  this  we  had 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  213 

the  spectacle  of  a  press  whose  columns  were  filled 
with  nauseous  perverting  details  concerning  Fiirst 
Eulenburg,  Frau  Schoenebeck  and  their  school;  per- 
sonal quarrels  between  editors  and  the  washing  of 
dirty  linen  In  general;  the  war  of  creeds  —  religious 
and  political;  mutual  abuse  between  the  States  com- 
prising the  German  Empire ;  ^  all  diluted  with  envy 
and  bitter  gall  towards  mankind  In  general. 

A  press  of  this  order  Is  exactly  suited  to  further 
the  ends  of  the  Prussian  State,  and  It  Is  certain  that 
the  government,  by  means  of  legislation,  has  made 
the  growth  of  any  other  kind  quite  Impossible.  In 
England  one  often  reads  the  plea  of  justification  In 
libel  cases :  "  Fair  comment  on  matters  of  public 
interest."  Such  a  defence  would  be  insufficient  to 
keep  a  German  editor  from  imprisonment  or  being 
mulcted  in  heavy  fines.  He  must  prove  herechtigte 
Interessen^  (justified  interests),  and  of  these,  ac- 
cording to  German  laws,  he  has  exceedingly  few. 
Suppose  for  a  moment  that  a  journalist  criticizes  some 
military  injustice,  e.g.,  ill-treatment  of  soldiers,  then 
he  may  be  called  upon  to  show  what  his  "  justified 
interest ''  in  the  concern  is,  failing  which  he  would 
undoubtedly  receive  sentence.  That  the  question  is 
one  of  public  interest  and  well-being  avails  him  noth- 

8  Das  Vaterland,  a  Bavarian  paper,  was  founded  for  the  purpose 
of  attacking  everything  Prussian.  It  lived  entirely  upon  scurrilous 
abuse.  Its  founder  is  said  to  have  coined  the  epithet  which  has 
stuck  to  Prussians,  viz.,  Saupreusse  (Prussian  sow!). 

*  Paragraph  193,  German  Penal  Code   {Strafgesetzbuch). 


214  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

ing;  the  matter  is  no  direct  concern  of  his  or  his 
journal. 

In  practice  the  result  is  that  only  the  State,  mili- 
tary authorities  or  police  have  *'  justified  interests," 
and  in  order  that  the  author  of  the  article  may  learn 
this  lesson  thoroughly  he  is  condemned  to  a  few 
months'  imprisonment  to  meditate  upon  such  an  act 
of  presumption  —  helping  the  State  to  look  after  its 
affairs ! 

In  regard  to  questions  of  international  import 
German  newspapers  have  never  been  able  to  express 
more  than  a  one-sided  official  view.  Their  political 
horizon  lacks  breadth,  while  any  development  of 
another  European  power  in  any  quarter  of  the  globe 
generally  provoked  diatribes  about  Germany  being 
in  danger,  or  that  her  interests  had  again  been 
betrayed. 

For  three  whole  months  in  the  spring  of  19 14  the 
entire  German  press  occupied  itself  in  a  most  violent 
attack  on  Russia;  the  only  incitement  which  Russia 
had  given  to  cause  this  avalanche  of  threats  was  the 
expressed  intention  of  putting  her  own  military  house 
in  order.^     Germany  may  keep  her  "  sword  sharp," 

^  No  subject  of  conversation  let  loose  more  eloquence  than  that  of 
Russia's  rottenness,  England's  unpreparedness,  and  France's  de- 
cay (?).  Yet  if  either  of  these  countries  proposed  reforms  or  more 
extended  organization,  they  served  as  texts  for  embittered  sermons 
on  designs  against  peaceful  Germany.  The  fact  is  that  Germany 
desired  to  arrange  not  only  her  own  affairs,  but  to  dominate  her 
neighbours'  household  affairs  too,  as  witness  the  Kaiser's  letters 
to  Lord  Tweedmouth. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  215 

her  *'  powder  dry/'  but  any  nation  which  dares  to 
take  similar  precautions  Is  charged  with  meditated 
treachery  against  the  Fatherland,  and  myriads  of 
great  and  little  journals  enter  the  field  with  Invective, 
abuse  and  rankling  hate.  In  such  polemics  even 
rulers  of  neighbouring  lands  may  not  hope  to  escape 
obscene  and  violent  attack. 

The  opinion  that  Gernlany's  press  campaign 
against  Russia  was  not  without  official  sanction  was 
confirmed  by  Bethmann-Hollweg's  dark  hints  spoken 
In  the  Reichstag,  directed  to  the  same  address.  On 
the  whole,  however,  the  German  press  has  shown 
Itself  to  be  sadly  misinformed  on  international  ques- 
tions. During  the  fateful  week  preceding  the  war 
her  papers  gave  very  little  attention  to  England's 
policy  —  the  dominating  factor  In  the  whole  situa- 
tion —  while  they  did  give  extensive  reports  of 
Italy's  promises  (?)  to  join  in  against  the  Triple 
Entente  and  of  Japan's  intention  to  declare  war  on 
Russia. 

Every  constant  reader  of  German  newspapers 
could  not  arrive  at  any  other  conclusion  than  that 
they  are  prevented  from  discussing  German  affairs 
with  moderate  freedom,  but  are  permitted  unlimited 
license  In  their  gibes  at  foreign  countries  and  mon- 
archs,  and  it  is  only  in  such  abusive  attacks  that  any 
semblance  of  unity  is  ever  visible.  In  what  degree 
such  campaigns  were  engineered  by  the  official  Press 
Bureau  in  Berlin  It  is  Impossible  to  determine,  but 


^16  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

there  Is  no  evidence  which  proves  that  the  "  reptile 
press  ''  Is  In  any  way  less  supine  than  In  Bismarck's 
day.  Its  voice  may  be,  and  Is,  bought  and  sold.  Its 
^^nanclal  position  Is  much  too  precarious  to  encourage 
the  hope  that  they  are.  above  corruption. 

The  class  of  men  —  journalists  are  wretchedly 
paid  and  have  no  social  status  —  who  are  engaged  In 
the  press  world  do  not  Inspire  confidence.  The  rich 
man  whose  son  has  compromised  himself  simply  tele- 
phones to  the  papers  and  all  reports  are  suppressed 
—  for  a  consideration  I  If  a  flourishing  business 
man  does  not  advertise  in  the  local  papers  he  will 
certainly  expose  himself  to  vulgar  attacks  inspired  by 
his  competitors.  The  writer  concurs  entirely  In  a 
remark  made  to  him  by  a  prominent  Bavarian :  ^ 
"  The  German  press  Is  capable  of  anything!  " 

Unfortunately  it  Is  by  no  means  easy  to  show  how 
the  authorities  make  use  of  the  Press,  but  at  least  one 
tangible  proof  can  be  given  that  a  host  of  papers 
receive  public  moneys.  In  every  town  and  district 
a  journal  —  nearly  always  the  one  with  the^greatest 
Influence  —  Is  selected  by  the  burgomaster  and  town 
council  as  their  ofiiclal  organ.  This  paper  bears  the 
title  Amtshlatt  (official  gazette),  and  in  It  alone,  all 
civic  and  State  announcements  are  made,  such  as  re- 
quests for  tenders,  everything  which  falls  under  the 
head  of  bye-laws,  military  announcements,  calls  for 

®Dr.  Toenissen  of  Erlangen.  This  gentleman  is  a  North  Ger- 
man by  birth,  but  highly  esteemed  in  Bavaria.  The  present  King 
Ludwig  has  been  a  guest  in  his  home.  \ 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  217 

rates  and  taxes,  regulations  for  public  houses,  etc. 
Everybody  Is  morally  compelled  to  take  It,  otherwise 
he  would  be  unaware  of  the  latest  police,  military  and 
other  official  notices  —  Ignorance  would  not  protect 
him  should  he  transgress  one  of  them. 

These  journals  never  attack  the  authorities,  for 
that  would  result  In  the  most  lucrative  part  of  their 
business  being  transferred  to  some  more  servile 
editor.  Germany  suffers  from  a  plethora  of  dally 
publications,  the  vast  majority  of  which  are  wretch- 
edly poor,  therefore  the  certain  source  of  Income 
from  town  or  State,  Is  an  Inducement  for  which  the 
proprietors  will  gladly  sell  an  editorial  conscience. 
Their  columns  are  open  to  anything  or  everything 
which  comes  von  oh  en  (from  above),  to  use  the 
phrase  usually  employed  In  speaking  of  authorities 
and  superiors  in  an'  Indefinite  sense. 

In  these  Insignificant  publications.  In  common  par- 
lance Kdsblatt  {i.e.,  a  paper  only  fit  for  a  salesman 
to  use  when  wrapping  up  cheese),  one  can  meet  with 
articles  which  could  not  have  emanated  from  the 
staff.     Their  style  and  contents  betray  the  expert. 

In  such  KashldtteVy  articles  appeared  at  Intervals 
on  England,  the  Navy,  commercial  rivalry  between 
the  two  countries,  Germany's  need  of  a  navy  to  deal 
with  the  English  bully,  and  such-like  themes,  which 
displayed  a  real  knowledge  and  Intellectual  grasp  not 
to  be  found  in  the  brain  of  a  thirty-shilllngs-a-week 
newspaper    man  —  the     factotum    of    a    German 


218  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Amtshlatt.  In  the  university  reading-room  a  large 
number  of  papers  from  all  parts  of  Germany  were 
accessible,  but  the  mystery  surrounding  the  able 
articles  only  deepened,  when  the  writer  observed  that 
these  articles  appeared  and  reappeared  at  various 
times  and  places.  Without  the  shadow  of  a  doubt 
they  had  been  circulated  by  some  central  office  such 
as  the  "  Official  Press  Bureau  "  or  the  "  German 
Navy  League,"  while  their  authors  may  have  been 
statesmen  or  admirals  —  in  any  case  able  men. 

Thus  all  German  authorities  have  an  ever  open 
door  by  which  their  ideas  can  enter  into  nearly  every 
home,  for  in  addition  to  the  moral  compulsion  com- 
pelling every  man  to  subscribe  to  these  journals  their 
price  is  ridiculously  low. 

Two  instances  will  suffice  to  illustrate  the  point. 
The  Nuremberg  Amtshlatt  is  the  Frdnkischer  Kurier, 
an  alleged  organ  of  the  National  Liberal  party; 
thirteen  editions  appear  during  the  week,  two  on 
weekdays  and  an  enlarged  edition  on  Sunday  morn- 
ings. Subscribers  pay  about  3s.  9d.  per  quarter, 
including  delivery.  In  Erlangen  there  Is  the  Er- 
langer  Taghlatt,  with  one  edition  daily,  costing  six- 
pence per  month."^ 

Very  few  German  papers  can  demand  a  sale-price 
of  one  penny  per  day,  except  when  single  copies  are 

■^  German  newspapers  are  sold  by  subscription.  I  have  only  seen 
newspapers  sold  in  the  streets  of  Berlin.  Placards  are  not  dis- 
played. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  ^19 

sold  on  railway  stations.  Advertisements,  too,  are 
extraordinarily  cheap,  yet  there  is  no  doubt  that  the 
rates  are  determined,  as  in  other  lands,  by  the  circu- 
lation. 

Patriotic  Germans  were  deeply  wounded  when 
their  own  Commissioner,  in  reporting  on  the  national 
exhibit  at  the  Chicago  Exhibition,  referred  to  the  Ger- 
man manufactures  department  as  "  cheap  and  nasty." 
It  is  long  since  obvious  that  our  cousins  have  done 
much  to  remove  that  slur,  but  it  still  deserves  unqual- 
ified application  to  the  German  newspaper  press. 
Even  in  the  twentieth  century  it  Is  encrusted  with  a 
thick  coating  of  academic  mustiness,  through  which 
modern  progress  has  failed  even  to  scratch.  Its 
heaviness,  lack  of  literary  style,  caustic  sneers,  love 
of  personalities  and  polemic,  cut  a  bad  figure  when 
compared  with  the  English  journalism  of  Defoe  and 
the  pamphleteers. 

There  Is  only  one  redeeming  feature  to  the  per- 
sonal attacks:  the  law  compels  the  editor  to  accept 
and  publish  a  rejoinder  if  the  victim  desires,  but  the 
law  cannot  prevent  him  from  haggling  for  weeks 
about  Its  tone  and  form. 

German  capitalists  do  not  appear  to  consider  jour- 
nalism a  first-class  Investment,  which  probably  ac- 
counts for  the  out-of-date  telegraphic  and  telephonic 
services,  as  well  as  for  the  fact  that  really  able  men 
seldom  enter  the  journalistic  profession.  It  offers 
too  few  opportunities  for  genius.     Furthermore,  an 


220  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

editor  can  very  easily  obtain  board  and  lodging  at 
the  public  expense,  or  find  himself  In  the  predicament 
of  having  to  fight  quite  a  series  of  duels.  Such  con- 
ditions have  developed  a  talent  for  Innuendoes  and 
dastardly,  veiled  attacks,  a  parallel  for  which  we  may 
seek  elsewhere  In  vain. 

With  regard  to  the  proprietor  or  shareholders, 
their  exasperation  at  the  fetters  which  rob  the  press 
of  Its  due  freedom,  or  their  desire  to  reform  any- 
thing else  "  rotten  In  the  State  of  Denmark,''  Is 
easily  kept  within  bounds  by  the  danger  —  easily 
Incurred  —  of  having  their  entire  printing  and 
publishing  plant  seized  and  confiscated  by  the 
police. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  better  mirror  through  which 
to  observe  the  everyday  life  of  a  nation  than  its  pub- 
lic press,  and  the  German  press  very  truly  reflects  the 
national  character:  quarrelsome,  vain,  ostentatious, 
vulgar,  above  all  unclean.  Mention  has  already 
been  made  of  the  obscene  reports  of  law  cases,  but 
If  this  point  needs  any  confirmation  it  may  be  found 
In  the  advertisement  columns  —  that  happy  hunting- 
ground  of  men  and  women  seeking  liaisons,^  ladies 

^The  average  German,  on  settling  in  another  city,  generally  in- 
serts an  advertisement  in  a  local  paper  seeking  the  acquaintance  of 
a  girl  to  accompany  him  on  Sunday  walks  and  excursions. 
Through  police  intervention  these  advertisements  now  generally 
take  the  form  of  "  a  gentleman  seeks  a  wife "  or  "  a  gentleman 
wishes  to  exchange  English  lessons  with  a  lady."  The  aim  and 
result  remain  the  same,  although  the  form  has  become  more  pe- 
culiarly German. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  221 

seeking  a  quiet  retreat,  and  other  nauseous  matters 
unfit  to  expatiate  upon  in  this  place. 

One  other  source  —  or  rather  outlet  —  of  this 
national  uncleanness  may  be  mentioned  —  the  so- 
called  humorous  papers.  The  conception  of  a  Punch 
has  not  yet  found  realization  in  Germany,  and  it 
would  be  difficult  to  name  a  comic  paper  published  in 
the  Fatherland  which  a  decent  family  man  would  care 
to  introduce  to  his  home.  Of  these,  the  most  pop- 
ular —  a  fact  which  speaks  volumes  for  German 
taste !  —  is  the  Munich  weekly  Simplicissimus,  of 
which  Professor  Geiger,  of  Erlangen,  once  said  to  me 
"  es  ist  ein  Volksgift "  (it  is  a  national  poison). 
Yet  it  may  be  found  in  thousands  of  well-to-do  homes, 
restaurants  and  coffee-houses,  public  reading-rooms 
and  barbers'  shops,  and  until  it  offended  the  State  by 
caricatures  of  the  Crown  Prince  and  the  King  of  Ba- 
varia, it  could  be  purchased  on  every  railway  book- 
stall in  the  Empire.  Most  of  the  staff  have  seen  the 
inside  of  a  German  prison. 

The  caricature  of  King  Ludwig  was  perfectly 
harmless.  It  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that 
his  uniform  never  fits  well,  yet  it  was  a  criminal 
offence  to  draw  him  with  his  trousers  all  pleats  and 
folds,  with  a  joke  underneath  suggesting  a  similarity 
to  a  concertina.  It  is  well  to  remember,  however, 
that  this  paper  was  banned  from  the  State  railways  on 
account  of  this  joke  and  not  as  a  punishment  for  the 
innumerable  atrocious  pictures  which  it  has  published 


/ 

22a  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

since  1902  of  the  English,  Russian  and  Serbian  royal 
families. 

Simplicissimus  represents  perhaps  better  than  any- 
thing else,  German  vulgarity,  a  statement  more  than 
confirmed  by  the  applause  which  its  efforts  call  forth. 
During  the  Morocco  crisis  one  of  its  cartoons  af- 
forded mirth  to  millions  of  Teutons.  In  it  the  Ger- 
man Eagle  was  seen  hovering  —  at  a  safe  distance ! 
—  above  the  British  Lion.  Just  as  the  latter  raised 
his  head  from  sleep  the  gallant  eagle  spat  in  his  eye. 
Neither  the  artist  nor  his  admirers  perceived  that 
spitting  —  even  though  it  is  characteristic  of  German 
ladies  and  gentlemen  in  public  places  —  is  after  all  no 
weapon  with  which  to  fight  and  destroy  a  Hon. 

Another  effort  made  just  before  the  present  war 
represented  the  German  Michael  asleep.  He  was 
covered  with  rats;  the  whole  horizon  represented 
Russia,  from  where  countless  rats,  representing  Rus- 
sians, swarmed  up  to  Michael.  Underneath  one 
read  the  legend :  "  When  will  he  wake  up  and  slay 
these  vermin  I  " 

It  would  be  utterly  impossible  to  quote  examples 
of  their  "  suggestive '*  humour;  this  work  would 
straightway  receive  a  well-deserved  boycott  on  the 
part  of  the  English  public  and  circulating  libraries. 
Among  the  few  good  things  which  have  appeared 
in  Simplicissimus  were  the  realistic  articles  from  the 
pen  of  Ludwig  Thoma,  portraying  the  Bavarian 
peasant  —  his  ignorance,  superstition,  his  intensely 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

quarrelsome    nature,    and    above    all   his   brutality. 

Suffice  it  to  say  that  German  humorous  papers  on 
the  whole  are  conducted  without  any  respect  to  ideals 
of  good  taste  —  politically,  socially  or  morally.  But 
the  most  unfortunate  side  is  that  they  are  exceedingly 
popular,  and  are  likely  to  remain  so  till  the  day,  when 
a  cleaner  and  saner  public  opinion  prevails  to  make 
them  Impossible. 

In  discussing  Simplicissimus  with  Germans  many 
will  be  met  with,  who  deplore  its  existence;  a  far 
greater  number  will  applaud  it  as  the  most  brilliantly 
humorous  (?)  paper  In  the  world,  and  some  will 
assert  that  It  Is  not  a  German  paper  at  all.  It  Is 
said  to  be  In  the  hands  of  Jews  who  direct  Its  entire 
policy.  The  writer  can  neither  confirm  nor  combat 
this  statement  (the  only  apology  offered  by  Germans 
who  are  really  ashamed  of  it),  but  the  evidence 
remains  incontrovertible  that  Germans  In  untold  num- 
bers buy  this  "  national  poison,"  read  and  gloat  over 
its  contents.  Somebody  has  said :  "  Show  me  what 
a  man  reads  and  I'll  tell  you  what  he  Is."  Quod  erat 
demonstrandum. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE    SEAMY   SIDE  OF    CULTURE 

ON  January  12th,  1915,  several  London  dallies 
published  the  following  letters,  written  by  a 
professor  at  Berlin  University.  They  appeared 
originally  in  the  Netherlands  Review  and  were  trans- 
lated by  Professor  Alexander  Souter  for  the  Aber- 
deen Free  Press.  Professor  Souter  is  responsible 
for  the  English  rendering. 

**  Berlin,  September  29th,   1914. 
''  My  dear  Friend: 

"  For  months  I  have  not  written  to  a  single 
foreigner:  a  foreigner  is  an  enemy  until  he  proves 
that  he  is  not.  One  cannot  rest  neutral  in  relation- 
ship to  Germany  and  the  German  people.  Either 
one  must  consider  Germany  as  the  most  perfect  polit- 
ical creation  that  history  has  known,  or  one  must 
approve  her  destruction,  her  extermination.  A  man 
who  is  not  German  knows  nothing  of  Germany. 

"  We  are  morally  and  intellectually  superior  to 
all :  without  peers.  It  is  the  same  with  our  organiza- 
tions and  our  institutions. 

"  Wilhelm  II.,  delicia  generis  humani,  has  always 
protected  peace,  right  and  honour,  although  it  would 
have  been  possible  for  him  by  his  power  to  annihilate 
everything.  The  greater  his  success,  the  more  mod- 
est he  has  become. 

224 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  225 

"  His  Chancellor,  Herr  von  Bethmann-HoUweg, 
the  most  eminent  among  men  who  are  at  present 
alive,  does  not  know  any  higher  cares  than  those  of 
truth,  loyalty  and  right.  Our  Army  is,  as  it  were, 
the  image  in  miniature  of  the  intelligence  and  the 
morahty  of  the  German  people. 

"  We  must  sacrifice  the  best  and  the  noblest  among 
us  in  a  war  against  the  Russian  brutes,  the  English 
mercenaries,  and  the  Belgian  fanatics.  The  French 
are  those  who  are  most  like  us. 

"  We  shall  have  no  peace  as  long  as  the  three 
European  meddlers  will  not  be  stricken  down.  We 
wish  to  have  peace  and  security,  and  we  shall  guar- 
antee it  to  others.  We  wish  to  be  able  to  pursue  our 
work  of  civilization.  .  .  .  We  do  good  to  every- 
body. 

"  England  has  a  policy  which  reminds  one  of  the 
European  States  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Ger- 
many, on  the  contrary,  has  taught  the  world  to  use 
conscience  as  the  guide  in  diplomacy  and  to  make  war 
in  a  spirit  of  loyalty.  England  is  going  to  her  ruin. 
France  may  yet  be  saved.  As  to  Russia,  she  must 
no  more  be  our  neighbour.  This  time  we  shall  wipe 
the  slate  clean.  Our  true  foe  is  England.  Woe  to 
you,  Albion  I  God  is  with  us,  and  is  defending  our 
just  cause! 

"Adolf  Lasson." 

"  Berlin,  September  30th. 
''  Dear  Friend: 

**  Allow  me  to  give  you  some  further  Indication 
of  what  cultivated  Germans  are  thinking. 

"To-day,  Holland  can  think  what  It  wishes;  but 
every  action  hostile  to  the  German  Empire  would 
have  the  most  serious  consequences.  For  this  Hol- 
land of  to-day,  we  Germans  have  very  little  respect 
and  sympathy.     We  are  breathing,  with  full  chest, 


g26  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

the  large  breath  of  History,  and  we  know  nothing 
about  this  wretched  bourgeois  existence. 

"  We  have  no  friends.  All  fear  us  and  look  upon 
us  as  dangerous,  because  we  are  intelligent,  active 
and  morally  superior.  We  are  the  freest  people  in 
the  world.     For  we  know  how  to  obey. 

"  Our  law  is  reason.  Our  force  is  the  force  of 
the  mind;  our  victory  the  victory  of  that.  That  is 
why  we  are  able  to  struggle  against  numerous  ene- 
mies, as  did  Frederick  II.  in  other  days. 

"  The  European  conspiracy  has  woven  around  us 
a  web  of  lies  and  slander. 

*'  As  for  us,  we  are  truthful,  our  characteristics 
are  humanity,  gentleness,  conscience,  the  virtues  of 
Christ.  In  a  world  of  wickedness,  we  represent 
love,  and  God  is  with  us  I 

"  Adolf  Lasson." 

Unfortunately  Professor  Lasson  has  not  explained 
his  conception  of  Kultur;  he  merely  claims  that  Ger- 
mans are  the  highest  cultural  products  which  history 
has  hitherto  brought  into  being.  Even  In  this  mod- 
est claim  the  learned  philosopher  Is  not  In  the  least 
original,  the  present  writer  has  heard  many  hundred 
Teutons  proclaim  the  same  thing. ^  We  must  turn 
to  other  sources  to  discover  what  Kultur  Implies. 
Recently  the  Kaiser  Informed  an  American  Inter- 
viewer that  It  meant  the  deepest  and  widest  percep- 
tion of  the  universe  and  all  that  It  contains;  in  other 
words,  enlightenment  and  knowledge. 

lA  French  gentleman  who  had  spent  many  years  in  Germany 
often  said  to  his  friends:  "These  people  [the  Germans]  talk  about 
nothing  but  Kultur,  yet  they  have  not  the  faintest  idea  of  what 
Kultur  really  means." 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  227 

One  of  the  Kaiser's  subjects  ^  has  given  us  a  still 
wider  definition:  "In  the  conception  Kultur  we 
include  everything  which  distinguishes  man  from 
the  animal."  An  Englishman  in  the  Evening  News, 
proceeding  on  these  lines,  defined  it  "  as  the  whole 
scheme  of  things  as  arranged  according  to  the  Ger- 
man ideal  or  point  of  view.  It  covers  such  diverse 
operations  as  going  in  to  dinner  and  listening  to  lec- 
tures, it  lays  down  laws  for  colonies  and  a  course  of 
reading,  it  arranges  the  drawing-room,  the  class-room 
and  the  emotions.  It  encourages  national  pride  and 
a  national  preparation  of  the  cabbage ;  it  discourages 
pity,  courteousness  and  lightness  of  touch;  this  last 
whether  in  the  kitchen  or  in  literature." 

The  author  has  no  criticism  to  offer  on  these  three 
interpretations;  he  will  only  add  to  the  last  one  that 
it  includes  orderliness  and  punctuality  —  especially 
in  the  running  of  trains.^  Nothing  brings  out  in- 
nate Prussian  rudeness  quicker  than  an  offence  against 
his  punctuality-deity.  Bavarian  trains  and  other  ar- 
rangements are  not  always  so  exact  as  Prussian  insti- 
tutions, and  North  Germans,  when  travelling  in 
Bavaria,  do  not  hesitate  to  express  themselves  on  the 
subject. 

2 Dr.   Paul    Michaelis,   in   his  book,   "Von  Bismarck  bis  Beth- 

mann  "    (Berlin,  1911),  p.  273. 

3  In  the  first  chapter  of  Dr.  Carl  Peters*  book  on  England  there 
is  a  mournful  discourse  about  the  unpunctuality  of  English  trains 
and  a  contrast  drawn  with  Prussian  achievements  in  that  domain. 
Peters  is  an  interesting  writer,  but  as  he  includes  Sadism  in  his 
notion  of  individual  culture  we  have  no  occasion  to  be  angry  with 
his  strictures. 


228  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

The  writer  has  often  heard  an  exasperated  Prus- 
sian declaim  about  diesen  bayrischen  Saustall  ^  when 
a  train  has  been  five  minutes  late.  His  Kultur  has 
not  taught  him  to  respect  the  feelings  of  Bavarian 
fellow-travellers,  but  his  doctrine  of  self-assertion 
permits  him  to  go  about  Europe  domineering  over 
other  people  In  their  own  country,  greedily  accepting 
their  hospitality,  and  simultaneously  wounding  their 
susceptibilities. 

After  polluting  the  pavements  of  Italian  streets, 
and  the  floors  of  Italian  museums  and  cathedrals  by 
his  promiscuous  habit  of  spitting,  he  returns  to  his 
beloved  Prussia  to  sing  ich  bin  ein  Preusse,^  and 
descant  on  die  drecktschen  Italiener  (the  filthy  Ital- 
ians). Neither  Professor  Lasson  nor  the  humblest 
subject  of  Kaiser  Wllhelm  possesses  sufficient  humour 
to  recall  the  proverb  concerning  self-praise,  of  which 
the  German  equivalent  is  Eigenlob  stinkt! 

After  all,  the  definition  of  Kultur  is  not  so  impor- 
tant as  the  application  of  the  idea  underlying  it. 
Here  the  English  and  German  notions  are  diametri- 
cally opposed  to  each  other.  According  to  the  latter 
Kultur  is  not  Intended  to  make  a  man  nobler,  it  is  not 
meant  to  refine  him,  raise  his  conception  of  character, 
nor  have  any  bearing  whatever  upon  his  dealings  with 
men. 

The  English  are  old-fashioned  in  expecting  a  man 

-^''Oh!  this  Bavarian  pigsty!" 

•^ "  I  am  a  Prussian,"  the  first  words  of  a  Prussian  national  hymn. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  229 

of  learning  and  enlightenment  to  develop  nobler 
modes  of  life,  purer  manners  and  all  the  other  "  shib- 
boleths "  of  English  "  sentimental  utilitarianism." 
Knowledge  and  Kultur  must  be  obtained  for  their 
own  sake ;  they  are  not  intended  to  transform  the  in- 
dividual, and  the  individual  has  not  to  assimilate  them 
in  order  to  make  himself  and  his  fellow-men  better 
and  happier  for  their  possession.  It  would  seem, 
however,  that  England  has  decided  to  retain  her  out- 
of-date  ideals,  and  this  encourages  the  writer  to  dis- 
cuss the  seamy  side  of  Kultur,  although  he  is  fully 
aware  that  from  the  German  point  of  view  the  fol- 
lowing considerations  have  no  bearing  upon  the  ques- 
tion at  all. 

Kultur  implies  punctual  trains,  a  good  tram-serv- 
ice, magnificent  municipal  theatres,  gaudy  restaurants, 
upright  men  in  brilliant  uniforms  with  heathen 
hearts,  and  fat  policemen  wearing  sword  and  revol- 
ver, who  treat  the  populace  like  a  pack  of  fox-hounds. 
Incidentally  it  means  vile  sanitary  arrangements  in 
German  houses,  but  these  are  not  exteriors,  and  may 
be  left  out  of  the  account.  The  word  "  exteriors  " 
has  let  out  the  secret.  Kultur  consists  of  exteriors, 
and  has  no  relation  whatever  to  the  things  which  are 
hidden  beneath  the  surface.  Indeed,  the  ability  to 
talk  Nietzsche  and  Kant,  or  simper  over  the  latest  ex- 
travagances of  Strauss'  music,  gives  an  Indulgence  cov- 
ering free  love;  while  gay,  well-fitting  uniforms  lend 
the  right  to  trample  on  all  ideas  of  human  justice. 


^30  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Kultur  IS  really  only  one  exterior,  not  many;  it  is 
whitewash  —  the  exterior  which  hides  the  horrors  of 
the  German  national  sepulchre.  As  such  it  does  not 
inspire  our  admiration  nor  arouse  our  envy.  In  fact, 
we  should  prefer  to  leave  it  severely  alone,  but  the 
German  attempt  to  whitewash  the  world  with  Kultur 
compels  us  to  give  it  passing  notice. 

The  writer  has  dealt  with  the  question  of  morality 
in  the  Fatherland  in  another  chapter.  In  support 
of  the  contention  that  immorality  is  widespread  a 
number  of  proofs  have  been  given.  The  Verhdltnis- 
System  does  not  flourish  in  vain;  every  year  nearly 
five  army  corps  of  illegitimate  children  are  born.  To 
be  precise,  the  average  number  of  children  born 
of  unmarried  German  women  during  the  period  1901 
to  i9iowas  178,115  per  annum.^ 

In  all  civilized  countries  the  home  is  considered 
the  foundation  of  social  and  national  existence.  If 
the  family  loses  its  sanctity  as  an  institution  it  is  gen- 
erally assumed  that  anti-moral  forces  are  at  work. 
Increased  material  prosperity  has  not  led  to  an  in- 
crease of  marriages  in  Germany,  but  the  number  of 
divorces  leaps  higher  year  by  year.     The  figures  are : 

NUMBER  OF   COUPLES   WHO   SOUGHT  A  DIVORCE 
1906  1907  1908  1909  1910  19H 


17,600  18,290  19,889  20,746  22,334  23,174 


«A11  figures  quoted  in  this  chapter  are  taken  from  the  publica- 
tions of  the  Imperial  Statistic  Office  for  the  German  Empire,  Berlin. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  231 

NUMBER  OF  DIVORCES  ACTUALLY   GRANTED 
1906  1907  1908  1909  1910  1911 


12,202    12,803    13,478    14,586    14,858    15,815 

Paragraph  172  in  the  German  penal  code  declares 
adultery  an  offence  punishable  with  imprisonment  up 
to  six  months.  A  prosecution  is  instituted  only  when 
the  adulterer  is  officially  denounced  to  the  police. 

The  writer  has  heard  and  read  of  duels  being 
fought  as  a  result  of  adultery,  but  never  heard  of  a 
case  of  imprisonment.  Divorce  cases  are  always 
taken  in  camera,  and  no  report  ever  appears  in  the 
press. 

Breach  of  promise  cases  are  unknown  in  German 
law,  and  damages  for  a  ruined  home  are  also  inad- 
missible. Germans  consider  damages  as  allowed  in 
the  English  divorce  court  to  be  a  proof  that  English- 
men have  no  sense  of  personal  honour. 

A  few  averages  will  suffice  to  indicate  the  amount 
of  other  forms  of  immorality.  Between  the  years 
1897  ^^d  19^7  there  were  5,734  persons  condemned 
for  incest,  and  8,411  individuals  sentenced  for  un- 
natural sexual  intercourse.  During  the  same  decade 
no  fewer  than  93,813  men  and  youths  were  before 
the  courts  for  rape. 

The  appalling  nature  of  these  figures  becomes  evi- 
dent when  we  pause  for  a  moment  to  consider  that 
the  blond  beast  rapes  9,381  "^  of  his  own  women  and 

^  These  figures  do  not  include  crimes  for  which  no  arrest  could 
be  made.  During  the  summer  of  1914  three  young  girls  were  vio- 
lated in  Erlangen  and  the  police  were  unable  to  detect  the  criminals. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

girls  per  annum,  In  times  of  peace,  without  the  incite- 
ment of  war  and  bloodshed.  After  grasping  these 
facts  it  requires  little  imagination  to  comprehend 
the  truth  of  the  official  reports  issued  by  the  French 
and  Belgian  governments  chronicling  the  atroc- 
ities perpetrated  in  those  lands  during  the  pres- 
ent war.  Yet  we  have  the  sorry  spectacle  of  Messrs. 
Keir  Hardie  and  Ramsay  Macdonald  shaking  their 
heads  and  saying,  "  There  is  no  proof."  Will  these 
gentlemen  have  the  temerity  to  doubt  the  proofs  given 
in  German  courts  of  justice?  It  is  hard  for  them  to 
admit  that  they  have  been  the  blind  leaders  of  the 
blind,  but  it  is  exceedingly  bitter  for  them  to  see 
myriads  of  their  Genossen  (comrades),  from  their 
"  land  of  promise,"  brimming  over  with  the  teachings 
of  Social  Democracy,  letting  loose  their  latent  bru- 
tality against  the  women  and  girls  of  Belgium  and 
France.  Militarism  is  not  entirely  responsible  for 
these  horrors ;  German  militarism  and  German  Social 
Democracy  share  the  guilt  between  them.  Militar- 
ism has  trained  and  drilled  the  human  tiger;  Bebel, 
Marx,  Liebknecht  and  Co.  freed  him  from  responsi- 
bility to  God  and  man.  The  atrocities  in  Belgium 
are  equally  the  fruits  of  Social  Democratic  doctrines 
and  militarism,  and  the  writer  gives  Mr.  Keir  Har- 
die's  friends  the  first  place. 

Germany  has  become  the  classic  land  of  both  these 
forces  —  militarism  and  atheistic,  immoral  Social 
Democracy  —  and  it  is  noteworthy  that  the  Germans 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  233 

in  1870  were  far  less  brutal  in  warfare  than  in  this 
struggle.^ 

During  the  past  forty-four  years  Bebel,  Engel  and 
Marx'  teachings  have  taken  deep  root  in  Germany; 
the  writer  has  spent  years  in  observing  the  results  of 
Bebel's  leaven  of  envy,  and  asserts  that  the  German 
lower  classes  —  represented  by  the  4^/4  million  men 
who  voted  for  Social  Democracy  In  19 12  —  are 
brutal  —  whitewashed  with  a  veneer  of  Kultur,  and 
the  statistics  of  German  criminality  confirm  his  asser- 
tion. 

It  would  be  unjust  to  charge  German  Social  Demo- 
crats with  all  the  crimes  in  peace  or  all  the  atrocities 
in  war,  but  this  fact  must  be  reckoned  with :  millions 
of  the  Kaiser's  soldiers  are  members  of  the  party 
which  has  brought  no  good  thing  in  religion,  moral- 
ity, or  into  everyday  human  affairs  in  modern  Ger- 
many. 

On  the  30th  of  July,  19 14,  the  writer's  wife  told 
him  that  the  maid  wished  to  leave  her  place  imme- 
diately war  broke  out,  in  order  to  return  to  her  par- 
ents. This  would  have  placed  us  in  an  awkward  pre- 
dicament, so  the  writer  asked  for  reasons.  The  girl 
—  aged  twenty-five,  intelligent  and  experienced  — 
repHed  that  she  would  be  afraid  to  remain  in  Erlan- 

s  In  Appendix  II.  the  statistics  of  crimes  in  the  German  Army 
and  Navy  are  given.  The  writer  considers  that  they  support  his 
point,  that  German  militarism  has  contributed  less  to  German 
criminality  than  Social  Democratic  doctrines  have,  during  the  past 
forty  years. 


2S4  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

gen  for  fear  of  the  Sozis.  On  being  further  ques- 
tioned it  proved  that  she  was  really  afraid  of  some 
crime  of  violence  against  her  person  by  some  member 
of  the  lower  orders,  whom  she  classed  under  the  gen- 
eric term  Sozi.  She  was  speaking  from  her  own 
level  in  life,  and  speaking  of  her  own  class,  therefore 
her  fear  was  not  the  effect  of  female  imagination. 
It  is  shared  by  all  classes,  for  German  ladies  never 
walk  in  the  beautiful  forests  or  countryside  without 
suitable  escort. 

In  dealing  with  offences  against  young  girls  it  is 
instructive  to  note  the  extent  to  which  the  German 
penal  code  condones  them.  Paragraph  182  runs:. 
*'  He  who  seduces  a  girl  under  the  age  of  sixteen  is 
liable  to  imprisonment  up  to  one  year.  A  prose- 
cution only  follows  when  the  parents  or  guardian  de- 
nounce the  offender  to  the  police."  The  legal  cun- 
ning betrayed  in  the  last  sentence  deserves  the  sever- 
est condemnation;  in  practice  it  means  that  the  vast 
majority  of  these  crimes  never  come  to  light  and  the 
criminal  goes  unpunished. 

Parents  who  have  imbibed  Herr  BebePs  teachings 
that  sexual  desire  must  be  gratified,  and  its  gratifica- 
tion is  something  which  concerns  the  individual  alone, 
further  that  chastity  is  a  thing  of  no  consequence  — 
such  parents  are  amenable  to  a  consideration  in  hard 
cash;  and  if  the  writer  can  believe  his  German  ac- 
quaintances, that  is  just  the  method  which  the  of- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  235 

fender  chooses  in  order  to  prevent  denunciation  to 
the  police. 

A  further  selection  from  the  penal  code  book  be- 
fore leaving  the  subject:  for  striking  a  monarch  the 
punishment  meted  out  is  either  death  or  penal  servi- 
tude for  life ;  the  minimum  penalty  fixed  for  insulting 
the  Kaiser,  Crown  Prince  or  members  of  other  ruling 
families  is  two  months'  imprisonment.  Insulting  or 
libel  in  general  is  punished  by  a  fine  up  to  thirty 
pounds  or  imprisonment  up  to  one  year.  Perjury  is 
considered  a  very  grave  offence,  the  maximum  penalty 
is  ten  years.  On  the  other  hand,  for  seriously 
wounding  anyone  a  criminal  cannot  be  condemned  to 
more  than  five  years'  penal  servitude. 

Most  of  the  cases  which  would  be  declared  man- 
slaughter or  murder  in  English  law  are  classified  in 
Germany  as  "serious  wounding  with  fatal  conse- 
quences ''  and  the  judge  inflicts  a  sentence  of  a  few 
years  —  on  an  average,  four.  The  statistics  of 
criminality  under  this  paragraph  (No.  224)  deserve 
quotation  at  length. 

INFLICTING  LIGHT  BODILY   INJURIES 

1907    1908    1909    1910    1911 


I      No.  of  persons  charged   35,226   34,453   32,999   3 
I      No.  of  persons  sentenced  27,418   26,803   25,677  2 


,775   30,466 
25,677  24,668  23,745 


INFLICTING  SEVERE  BODILY  INJURIES 

1907    1908    1909    1910  1911 

No.  of  persons  charged  119,841  123,313  n8,88i  117,864  115,950 

No.  of  persons  convicted  94,471   97,235   93, ^75  92,193  90,881 


236  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

MURDER  AND  MANSLAUGHTER 

1907   1908   1909   1910   1911 


Persons  charged     326    338    350    365    375 
Persons  convicted     280    300    292    303    322 

With  very  few  exceptions  criminals  condemned 
to  death  for  murder  are  reprieved  to  penal  servitude 
for  life.  The  crimes  of  violence  deserve  careful  at- 
tention ;  they  are  characteristic  of  Germany,  and  have 
excited  comment  from  Treitschke  and  his  protago- 
nists —  the  peace  party.  The  apostle  of  war 
wrote  ^  :  "  There  are  epidemics  of  crime  which  are 
a  very  serious  danger  to  a  nation.  Up  to  the  early 
sixties  it  used  to  appear  true  that  crimes  of  violence 
decreased,  and  that  only  crimes  of  fraud  increased 
in  peace  time.  Since  then  the  stabbing  custom  has 
sprung  up.  All  at  once  the  working  classes  began  to 
carry  non-shutting  knives  (a  sort  of  dagger) ,  and  the 
crimes  of  brutality,  so  prevalent  in  our  time,  have 
continually  increased. 

"  The  manner  in  which  this  blood-licking  {Blut- 
leckerei)  spreads  like  an  epidemic  is  truly  awful,  and 
the  State  must  take  precautionary  measures  against 
it.  The  same  is  true  of  the  terrible  increase  in  crimes 
of  shame"  (rapes,  etc.). 

The  "  precautionary  measure  "  which  the  State 
has  taken  may  be  found  in  paragraph  224  of  the  Ger- 
man penal  code.  It  is  purely  a  penal  measure  of  re- 
pression, and  the  penalty  meted  out  is  not  stringent 

»"Die   Politik,"   II.,  p.  425. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  237 

enough  for  the  offence.  Treitschke's  antagonist, 
Pfarrer  Umfrid,  frankly  ascribes  the  increase  of  all 
these  crimes  to  militarism.  His  argument  Is,  if  a 
man  is  trained  compulsorily  in  the  use  of  weapons,  he 
naturally  appeals  to  a  weapon  to  settle  his  own 
quarrels. 

The  present  writer  admits  militarism  as  one  of  the 
causes,  but  Is  inclined  to  adduce  some  others. 
Firstly,  the  innate  brutality  of  the  whole  German 
nation  and  their  worship  of  brute  force.  Secondly, 
the  absence  of  any  broad  humanitarian  movement  in 
Germany  during  the  nineteenth  century,  which  would 
have  spread  higher  Ideals  of  human  action  and  in- 
culcated the  sacredness  of  human  life.  Thirdly,  the 
wholesale  propagation  of  the  doctrines  of  Social 
Democracy  coincide  with  this  awful  increase  In  crimi- 
nality. 

Bebel  and  his  school  freed  the  individual  from 
service  to  God  and  man,  and  opened  the  floodgates 
of  class  hatred.  It  is  not  surprising,  if  the  working 
classes  in  Germany,  after  being  taught  that  they  are 
responsible  neither  to  God  nor  man,  take  justice  into 
their  own  hands.  In  any  case,  the  fact  remains  that 
Germany  holds  the  record  among  civihzed  nations, 
with  an  average  of  over  four  army  corps  wounded  an- 
nually in  time  of  peace. 

Kultur  teaches  the  richer  classes  to  settle  their 
quarrels  by  a  duel,  but  it  has  no  code  of  honour  by 
which  the  workman  may  settle  his,  therefore  the  lat- 


238  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

ter  seizes  either  knife,  pistol  or  beer-mug  and  obeys 
his  instincts. 

It  is  by  no  means  an  edifying  sight  to  see  two 
British  workmen  belabouring  each  other  with  fisti- 
cuffs, but  it  is  a  picture  of  social  culture  centuries  in 
advance  of  anything  which  the  working-classes  of 
Germany  can  show,  in  spite  of  their  universal  accep- 
tance of  "  human  brotherhood." 

If  Englishmen  play  the  game  in  their  fights,  little 
harm  results,  and  a  fair  fight  is  a  code  of  honour. 
Among  Germans  there  is  no  "  playing  the  game,"  ten 
may  attack  one;  if  the  latter  falls  he  may  be  kicked 
or  beaten  on  the  ground. 

The  ideals  expressed  in  the  popular  phrase  "  fair 
play  "  have  never  dawned  upon  any  section  of  the 
German  public.  Neither  "  fair  play  "  nor  "  bully  " 
have  any  equivalent  in  the  German  language.  The 
German  mind  has  not  yet  conceived  these  notions, 
therefore  the  German  tongue  has  not  learned  to  desig- 
nate them.  According  to  German  ideas  if  you  must 
fight,  then  you  may  kick,  scratch,  bite  or  stab  —  only 
win! 

In  the  present  war  these  Teutonic  ideals  —  or 
rather  absence  of  them  —  are  simply  projected  on  an 
infinite  scale,  and  it  is  useless  to  scold  at  every  act  of 
piracy  or  every  "  blow  below  the  belt."  Kultur  rec- 
ognizes no  belt.  The  same  applies  to  German  school- 
boys. If  they  fight,  the  methods  are  the  same,  only 
the  weapons  are  limited  to  boots,  sticks  and  stones. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  239 

Brutality  breaks  out  in  early  years,  as  may  be 
proved  by  reference  to  the  statistics  of  Courts  for 
Youthful  Offenders.  In  19 12  the  following  crimes 
were  committed  by  boys  between  the  ages  of  twelve 
and  eighteen: 

Rapes,  952;  murders  and  manslaughter,  107;  in- 
flicting bodily  injuries,  8,987;  damage  to  property, 
2,938;  arson,  148.  Crime  has  increased  by  leaps 
and  bounds;  in  1897  ^^^  number  of  crimes,  of  all 
kinds,  claiming  the  attention  of  the  authorities  was 
559,007.     Ten  years  later  the  number  had  risen  to 

643>396. 

A  brutal  bully  is  generally  vindictive  and  revenge- 
ful, and  the  knife  is  not  the  only  weapon  which 
German  criminals  employ  in  their  lust  for  revenge 
and  destruction.  If  it  is  too  dangerous  to  do  an 
enemy  bodily  injury,  then  the  next  best  way  to  wreak 
vengeance  on  him  seems  to  be  destruction  of  his 
property.  It  has  an  advantage,  for  the  dastardly  act 
can  be  perpetrated  in  the  night  and  the  chances  of 
discovery  are  minimized.  Reference  has  already 
been  made  to  the  fear  which  German  peasants  have 
of  an  enemy  setting  their  barn  and  ricks  alight. 

The  following  figures  justify  this  fear,  although 
they  give  only  a  faint  idea  of  the  number  of  crimes 
against  property,  because  the  difficulty  of  detecting 
the  criminal  is  indeed  great  In  a  country  where  vic- 
tims and  witnesses  have  a  very  real  dread  of  future 
revenge. 


^40  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

DAMAGE   TO   PROPERTY 

1907        1908        1909        1910        1911 


No.  of  persons  charged       26,393      26,325      25,719      25,605      24,756 
No.  of  persons  convicted    19,919      19,865      19,579      19,492     18,895 


ARSON 

1907    1908    1909    1910   1911 


No.  of  persons  charged   620    608     667     546  600 

No.  of  persons  convicted  431    434    446     395  435 

USING  THREATS  AND  COMPULSION 

1907    1908    1909    1910  1911 


No.  of  persons  charged   17,471   i7,534  16,665   16,119   16,183 
No.  of  persons  convicted  13,128   13,319   12,535   12,180  12,201 

Evidence  is  not  lacking  that  even  Germans  get 
tired  of  life  in  the  pure  atmosphere  of  Professor  Las- 
son's  peerless  Kultur.  The  number  of  suicides  in- 
creased from  11,836  in  1901  to  14,181  in  1911. 
The  average  number  of  suicides  for  these  eleven 
years  works  out  at  12,356.  "The  increase  of  sui- 
cides is  the  result  not  alone,  and  not  in  the  first  place, 
of  neurotics  induced  by  the  struggle  for  life;  but 
above  all  by  the  prevailing  materialism  and  the  conse- 
.quent  loss  of  proportion.  Success  is  over-estimated, 
and  accordingly  too  much  importance  is  attached  to 
failure."  i« 

Notwithstanding  this  discouraging  picture  of  the 
fruits  of  Kultur,  Germany's  War  Lord  views  the  fu- 
ture with  optimism.  In  a  speech  delivered  at  Miin- 
ster  on  August  31st,  1907,  he  said:     "  In  this  spirit, 

10 "Moral  und  Gesellschaft,"  by  Fritz  Berolzheimer. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  241 

old  and  new  provinces,  citizens,  peasants  and  work- 
men should  hold  together  to  work  in  equal  love  and 
fidelity  for  the  Fatherland.  Then  our  German  peo- 
ple will  become  the  granite  rock  on  which  God  can 
continue  to  build  up  and  perfect  His  cultural  task  in 
the  world.  Then  the  poet's  prophecy  will  be  fulfilled 
which  says :  *  The  world  will  be  regenerated  by  Ger- 
man character  {Wesen).'*  '' 

One  of  the  commanders  in  the  Emperor's  army  is 
not  quite  so  confident  as  his  master:  "The  prog- 
ress of  general  civilization  is  unmistakable,  but 
whether  we  have  gained  in  inward  culture  remains 
more  than  doubtful.  Modes  of  life  have  changed, 
but  men  are  the  same."  ^^ 

A  third  quotation  from  German  sources  will  suf- 
fice to  complete  this  sketch  of  Kultur^s  seamy  side.^^ 
"  '  Germany  in  front  in  the  world.'  With  these 
words  Billow  acclaimed,  his  Fatherland  to  an  aston- 
ished world.  It  was  an  exaggeration.  Look  at 
Greater-Prussian  Kultur  from  any  side  you  like  —  it 
presents  everywhere  a  picture  of  decay  and  degenera- 
tion. The  spirit  has  long  since  departed,  only 
phlegma  remains.  Hurrah-patriotism  has  replaced 
love  of  Fatherland,  and  weak-kneed  hypocrisy  the 
spirit  of  independence. 

"  The  pride  of  poverty  and  simple  wants  have 

11 "  Krieg  und  Politik  in  der  Neuzeit,"  by  General  Loringboren. 
Berlin,   1911. 

12  «  Von  Bismarck  bis  Bethmann,"  by  Dr.  Paul  Michaelis.  Ber- 
lin, 1911,  p.  273. 


242  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

given  place  to  purse-proud  snobbery  and  the  greed 
of  gold.  In  place  of  love  for  truth,  there  Is  treach- 
erous '  correctness ' ;  Instead  of  the  free  heart  and 
frank  speech,  timid,  fearsome  endeavours  not  to  of- 
fend the  powers-that-be.  What  we  lack  Is  the  will 
to  truth." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

BAUERNFANGEREI 

ROBERT  BROWNING  introduced  the  Ratten- 
f  anger  von  Hameln  ^  to  the  English  reading 
public,  but  there  is  a  more  important  type  of  the  genus 
"  catcher,"  viz.,  der  Baiiernf anger.  According  to 
the  old  legend,  the  Pied  Piper  led  away  the  rats  and 
children  of  Hamelin  by  the  seductive  power  of  music. 
The  Bauernf anger  is,  in  the  first  place,  a  sharper 
(welsher?)  who  frequents  country  fairs  and  by  means 
of  a  persuasive  tongue  catches  "  country  yokels,"  or, 
in  other  words,  swindles  them;  Moses  in  the  "  Vicar 
of  Wakefield  "  fell  a  victim  to  this  type  of  gentle- 
man. 

The  Bauernf  anger  is  an  adept  at  getting  some- 
thing for  nothing;  he  has  a  peculiar  genius  for  sug- 
gesting false  impressions;  he  induces  his  victims  to 
do  as  he  wishes  them,  but  they  remain  in  the  dark 
as  to  his  motives  and  aims  —  till  the  swindle  is  un 
fait  accompli.  These  gentlemen  know  better  than 
anyone  else  the  weak  side  of  humanity  and  under- 
stand how  to  turn  men's  vanity  and  credulity  to  their 

i"Pied    Piper   of   Hamelin,"    or,    literally  translated,   the   Rat 
Catcher  of  Hamelin. 

243 


244  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

own  account.  The  dictionary  translates  Bauern- 
fdnger  as  "  a  confidence  man,"  and  his  occult  science, 
Bauernfdngerei,  Is  rendered  as  "  the  confidence 
trick.'' 

For  years  the  writer  has  heard  England  denounced 
as  the  "  great  confidence  trickster,"  but  In  this  chap- 
ter he  hopes  to  turn  the  tables  on  his  quondam 
friends  by  showing  that  the  wiles  of  the  "  confidence 
man  "  are  not  unknown  to  the  German  State. 

One  of  the  honours  which  may  be  won  In  the 
German  army  deserves  notice,  the  Iron  cross.  This 
Institution  was  founded  on  March  loth,  1813 
(Queen  Louisa's  birthday),  to  reward  acts  of  brav- 
ery In  the  Liberation  War.  If  reports  from  Ger- 
many may  be  credited,  the  Kaiser  has  been  lavish 
In  bestowing  this  coveted  honour.  Assuming  this  to 
be  true,  the  Emperor  Is  only  continuing  In  war,  a 
custom  long  since  established  In  peace  —  scattering 
broad-cast,  empty  honours  to  capture  and  deceive  the 
multitude.  It  Is  the  traditional  method  of  German 
autocracy,  to  enable  the  nation  to  swallow  and  endure 
the  system.  In  peace  time  the  scattered  honours 
are  titles,  medals  and  orders. 

On  January  ist  Bavarian  newspapers  contain  about 
eight  columns  of  closely-printed  names  with  their  new 
titles  attached.^  Bavaria  has  a  population  of  about 
7,000,000  souls  and  a  government  office  for  the  dls- 

2  In  recent  years  many  of  the  newspapers  have  declined  to  sacri- 
fice their  space  to  print  these  ever-increasing  lists. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

tribution   of   titles.     King   Ludwig's   birthday 
January  ist  are  the  principal  days  for  the  whole^ 
distribution  of  honours  to  the  populace. 

When  the  Crown  Prince  of  Austria  was  murdered, 
the  Bavarian  king  was  making  his  first  royal  prog- 
ress, scattering  titles  with  both  hands  In  every  town 
he  visited.  In  19 lo  his  Royal  Highness,  then  Prince 
Ludwig,  visited  Erlangen  and  read  out  long  lists  of 
new  titles  in  the  Town  Hall  and  University  Hall. 
The  writer  was  present  on  the  latter  occasion  and 
remembers  how  soundly  the  Prince  slept  during  the 
patriotic  speech  of  welcome.  He  remembers,  too, 
the  secret  glee  In  university  circles,  because  the  Fac- 
ulty of  Philosophy  had  conferred  an  honorary  doc- 
torate on  a  personal  enemy  of  the  Prince.  Probably 
the  latter  never  heard  that  his  host,  the  Vice-Chan- 
cellor,  Professor  Lenk,  was  deeply  insulted  because 
he  was  awarded  the  "  Prince  Lultpold  Medal  "  in  sil- 
ver, an  honour  which  his  Royal  Highness  had  be- 
stowed an  hour  previously  on  a  sergeant  of  police  I 
The  learned  professor  talked  of  rejecting  the  prof- 
fered piece  of  silver,  but  "  discretion  was  the  better 
part  of  valour." 

A  few  samples  of  the  titles  which  rain  annually  on 
the  thirsty  land  are:  Kommerztenrat  (commercial 
councillor)  ;  after  a  few  years  this  is  prefixed  by  the 
word  Privy,  and  a  still  higher  stage  is  Real-Privy- 
Commerclal-Counclllor.  All  three  stages  are  empty 
humbug,  for  no  "  commercial  council  "  exists,  where 


246  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

these  men  meet  to  discuss  commerce  or  anything  else. 
It  Is  a  cheap  method  of  making  a  man  Important  In 
the  eyes  of  his  compatriots.  No;  *'  cheap  "  Is  a  mis- 
statement, for  the  recipient  pays  from  £800  to 
£1,500  for  the  honour. 

A  lawyer  becomes  Herr  Justizrat;  medical  men, 
professors,  burgomasters,  etc.,  blossom  Into  Herr 
Geheimrat  (Privy  Councillor),  and  later  the  prefix 
"Real"  Is  added  (Wirklicher-Geheimer-Hofrat  = 
Real-Prlvy-Court-CouncUlor) ,  but  the  Court  never 
calls  for  any  advice  from  the  army  of  Real-Prlvy- 
Court-Counclllors  which  ornament  the  cities,  State 
universities  and  schools.  But  these  gentlemen  have 
gained  In  Importance;  the  State  has  patted  them  en- 
couragingly, and  said.  In  effect:  "What  good  and 
faithful  little  boys  you  are !  " 

The  number  of  titles  distributed  In  South  Ger- 
many Is,  however,  small  In  comparison  to  the  myriads 
bestowed  In  Prussia,  where  the  custom  originated. 

Yet  It  would  be  unjust  to  assume  that  all  Germans 
approve  of  It;  the  writer  has  heard  various  men  of 
learning  express  drastic  criticism  on  the  system. 
Some  of  them  do  not  allow  their  friends  to  employ 
the  title  when  addressing  them.  Workmen  and 
other  employees,  Including  domestic  servants,  are 
awarded  a  bronze  medal  after  twenty-five  years'  serv- 
ice in  the  same  situation,  but  at  death  the  honour 
has  to  be  returned  to  the  Hofmarshallamt  (the  gov- 
ernment department  which  regulates  the  traffic  In 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  247 

titles,  orders  and  medals).  If  the  relatives  wish  to 
retain  the  medal,  the  State  presents  a  modest  bill  for 
IS.  6d.  to  cover  its  cost. 

No  one  understands  the  weakness  and  vanity  of 
German  character  better  than  the  German  State,  and 
playing  on  this  vanity  is  one  of  its  trump  cards  in 
gaining  popular  acceptance  for  the  autocratic  idea. 
Titles,  orders  and  medals  help  to  console  their  re- 
cipients for  the  absence  of  true  freedom,  and  help 
to  attach  them  to  the  powers-that-be. 

Bismarck's  universal  suffrage  falls  under  this  cate- 
gory. As  mentioned  in  another  place,  every  man  has 
a  vote  after  completing  his  twenty-fifth  year.  It  Is 
an  empty  privilege,  for  the  Reichstag,  when  elected, 
has  no  voice  in  national  affairs;  the  ministers  who 
direct  home  and  foreign  policy  are  not  responsible  to 
the  Parliament.  When  addressing  the  Reichstag  on 
November  29th,  188 1,  Bismarck  said:  "  Gentlemen, 
do  not  Imagine  that  I  serve  you.  I  serve  the  Em- 
peror alone."  Yet  he  had  estabhshed  the  system  of 
every  man  a  vote,  and  only  one  vote.  It  was  the 
confidence  trick  on  a  large  scale,  an  universal  but 
worthless  vote.  Faithful  to  Treitschke's  Statecraft, 
the  German  State  never  intended  power  to  be  in  the 
hands  of  the  people. 

The  system  Is  openly  styled  Bauernfdngerei,  ang- 
lice,  confidence  trick;  or  the  persuasive  eloquence 
which  a  cheap-jack  employs  when  foisting  his  worth- 
less goods  on  the  peasantry. 


248  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

The  writer's  attention  was  first  drawn  to  the  Ger- 
man's love  of  titles  in  1903,  by  Judge  Baldwin, 
American  Consul  in  Nuremberg.  Mr.  Baldwin  has 
died  since  that  time,  so  the  author  is  free  to  refer 
to  the  many  conversations  which  he  had  with  a  very 
respected  friend. 

In  talking  of  titles  Judge  Baldwin  expressed  the 
opinion  that  the  average  German,  will  sell  his  soul 
for  an  empty  title,  and  cited  a  case  to  prove  his  point. 
Up  till  the  year  1901  no  British  Consul  had  been 
appointed  in  Nuremberg.  Many  local  merchants 
were  anxious  to  obtain  the  honour,  for  the  title  Herr 
Consul  is  an  asset  from  the  business  and  social  point 
of  view.  Among  the  applicants  was  a  Jewish  gentle- 
man named  Herr  Sigmund  Ehrenbacher.  As  Herr 
Ehrenbacher  had  previously  become  a  naturalized 
American  subject,  the  English  Foreign  Office  hesi- 
tated to  give  him  the  appointment.  A  compromise 
was  made,  on  the  lines  that  Herr  Ehrenbacher  had 
to  renounce  his  American  and  revert  to  his  German 
citizenship.  Then  he  was  made  Honorary  British 
Vice-Consul  and  held  that  post  till  his  death  in  19 14. 
The  naturalization  papers  went  through  Judge  Bald- 
win's consular  office,  and  the  American  Consul  felt 
that  It  exemplified  very  aptly  the  longing  for  titles  in 
every  German  breast,  t.e.^  American  citizenship  is  not 
equal  In  value  to  the  title  Herr  Consul. 

About  four  years  ago  Mr.  Winston  Churchill 
visited  Nuremberg,   and  was  Herr  Ehrenbacher's 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  249 

guest;  after  Mr.  Churchill's  return  to  this  country 
our  American-German-British  Vice-Consul  was  made 
a  full  British  Consul.  He  told  the  writer  that  the 
promotion  had  followed  on  Mr.  Churchill's  recom- 
mendation. At  the  same  time  a  clerk  (Herr  Simon) 
in  Herr  Ehrenbacher's  office  was  appointed  Acting 
British  Vice-Consul,  and  if  the  writer  may  give  cre- 
dence to  both  the  Consul  and  Vice-Consul,  then  Herr 
Ehrenbacher  obtained  his  appointment  from  the 
English  Foreign  Office  in  1901  through  the  influence 
of  Jewish  friends  in  this  country.^ 

The  foregoing  considerations  suffice  to  show  that 
there  is  method  in  the  seeming  madness  of  the  Ger- 
man State  in  scattering  honours  during  peace  and 
iron  crosses  in  war-time. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  that  the  inhabitants  6f 
German  villages  are  moved  at  the  sight  of  an  iron 
cross  on  the  breast  of  a  brawny  son  of  the  soil.  The 
writer  wishes  by  no  means  to  depreciate  the  act  of 
valour  which  won  the  honour,  but  merely  to  point  out 
that  the  Victoria  Cross  is  awarded  for  unique  deeds 
of  bravery,  while  the  German  cross  is  awarded  for 
acts  which  we  consider  a  part  of  a  soldier's  everyday 
duties.  By  this  method  the  War  Office  at  Berlin  rec- 
ognizes individual  service,  incites  individual  efforts, 
and  exercises  a  moral  influence  on  the  people  at  home. 
It  is  an  astute  exploitation  of  human  nature,  a  depart- 

3  The  question  of  German  British  Consuls  in  various  countries  is 
discussed  at  length  on  page  341. 


250  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

ment  in  which  the  German  State  Is  a  supreme  adept. 
It  is  successful  at  home,  and  has  been  extensively  em- 
ployed in  Germany's  dealings  with  England.  It  in- 
cludes Friendship  Committees,  Hague  Conferences, 
visits  from  deputations  representing  the  German 
Church,  interviews  with  Daily  Telegraph  correspond- 
ents, hospitality  to  English  delegates  In  Germany, 
and  all  the  other  deceptions  which  some  people  in  this 
country  expected  would  bring  about  a  lasting  peace 
and  friendship  between  the  two  great  Germanic  peo- 
ples. 

The  German  State  knew  that  just  as  in  Germany, 
so,  too,  in  England  there  are  ill-informed  people 
who  will  run  after  any  phantom  or  defend  any  crack- 
brained  idea,  if  It  only  transforms  their  natural  in- 
significance Into  some  sort  of  public  importance. 
For  the  last  decade  the  German  State  has  piped  to 
this  section  of  the  English  public  —  and  they  have 
danced.  They  may  be  forgiven  for  what  occurred 
In  ignorance  during  peace-time,  but  that  these  mis- 
guided people  continue  to  dance  to  the  Berlin  tune 
during  war-time  is  a  different  matter. 

In  this  section  the  writer  includes  all  the  pacifists 
who  told  England  that  Germany  wanted  peace,  and 
he  includes  the  Members  of  Parliament  who  visited 
Germany,  but  could  not  speak  a  word  of  German,  a 
fact  which  made  their  tours  through  the  Fatherland 
a  farce.  It  is  no  crime  not  to  learn  German,  but  It  Is 
charlatanism  of  the  worst  kind  to  pose  as  an  author- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  251 

ity  on  a  country  of  which  you  are  entirely  ignorant. 

In  1907  the  writer  was  invited  by  the  burgomaster 
of  Nuremberg  to  certain  festivities  in  honour  of  a 
party  of  Enghsh  M.P.'s.  Only  one  gentleman  was 
able  to  speak  German  —  Sir  John  Gorst.  The  party 
had  an  excellent  reception  in  various  German  cities; 
they  were  toasted  and  feasted  —  and  laughed  at  by 
their  German  hosts!  The  Germans  were  playing 
the  game  called  Bauernfdngerei,  and  they  evidently 
caught  some  victims.  Since  that  date  Mr.  Chiozza 
Money  has  posed  in  the  Daily  News  as  an  authority 
on  Germany,  yet  in  1907  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
German  language  or  nation.  Another  M.P.  in  the 
party  boasted  that  he  had  been  the  first  to  use  Ger- 
man black  bread  and  sausages  as  an  election  dodge. 
Some  years  previously  a  friend  had  sent  him  these  ar- 
ticles, and  he  had  filled  a  window  in  his  constituency 
with  black  bread  and  so  on.  Of  course,  he  won  the 
seat,  and  after  practising  Baiiernfdngerei  on  English 
people,  visited  the  Fatherland  to  let  Germans  amuse 
themselves  at  the  same  game. 

Furthermore,  it  is  instructive  for  voters  to  learn 
that  candidates  for  parliamentary  honours  talked 
fluently  about  Germany,  in  support  of  Free  Trade  or 
Tariff  Reform,  without  having  studied  Germany  ex- 
cept in  the  Consular  Reports  sent  to  this  country  by 
German-British  Consuls. 

In  peace-times  there  were  Englishmen  who  made 
a  large  section  of  the  public  believe  that  they  knew 


252  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

and  understood  the  German  problem  —  the  war  has 
shown  them  up  in  their  true  character  —  charlatans ! 

Since  the  outbreak  of  war  a  small  contingent  of 
the  charlatan  party  continues  its  endeavours  to  mis- 
lead the  British  public.  Part  of  the  propaganda  (the 
aim  of  which  is  to  arouse  sympathy  for  Germany) , 
consists  in  pleading  for  generosity  towards  the  Ger- 
man people  and  hate  for  the  German  army.  Here, 
again,  their  motives  are  good  but  their  ignorance 
appalling. 

Messrs.  Keir  Hardie  and  Ramsay  Macdonald  are 
in  this  contingent,  while  Mr.  Bernard  Shaw  seems 
to  be  mixed  up  in  it,  in  spite  of  his  denials.  The 
writer  sympathizes  with  Mr.  Shaw,  because  all  the 
third  and  fourth  class  German  theatres  which  pro- 
duced his  Mrs,  Warren's  Profession,  etc.,  etc.,  are 
now  closed.  The  war  has  closed,  for  the  time  be- 
ing, what  must  have  been  a  good  market  for  Mr. 
Shaw's  wares.  Is  this  why  some  of  his  sympathies 
are  on  the  other  side  of  the  North  Sea?  Are  sym- 
pathy and  self-interest  identical?  Still,  there  is  some 
consolation  for  Mr.  Shaw  in  the  fact  that  German 
newspapers  are  now  calling  him  the  "  Upright  Man." 
Germans  have  admired  our  Social  Democratic  play- 
wright for  a  long  time. 

The  writer  has  heard  more  than  one  German  state 
that  England  had  produced  only  three  writers  since 
the  year  1800,  and  those  are  Lord  Byron,  Oscar 
Wilde  and  G.  B.  Shaw.     In  any  case,  the  three 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  253 

names,  if  properly  arranged,  form  ein  schones  Klee- 
blatt  (a  pretty  Shamrock-leaf). 

For  more  than  a  decade  Oscar  Wilde  and  Mr. 
Shaw  have  had  the  honour  of  having  their  works 
produced  in  German  third  and  fourth-class  theatres 
more  often  than  any  other  English  dramatists. 
Theatres  like  the  Intimes  Theater,  in  Nuremberg  — 
a  dirty  little  theatre  in  a  dirty  little  street,  where 
dirty  little  plays  are  produced  .for  the  delectation  of 
German  lieutenants  in  mufti  out  for  the  evening  with 
a  Ferhdltnis. 

But  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the 
Fatherland's  shady  theatres  will  reopen  after  the 
war,  therefore  if  Mr.  Shaw  has  any  loss  it  can  only 
be  temporary,  and  personal  loss  is  no  reason  either 
for  pro-German  sympathies  or  anti-English  senti- 
ments. 

Returning  to  the  question  of  the  German  army  and 
nation,  it  is  satisfactory  to  note  that  some  English- 
men know  and  understand  them  better  than  the  Ger- 
mans themselves.  The  Englishmen  in  question  say 
—  you  must  separate  the  German  army  from  the 
German  people,  love  the  one  and  hate  the  other. 
Germans  do  not  admit  this  divisibility;  Teutons  main- 
tain that  the  army  and  people  are  one  and  the  same 
thing. 

It  may  be  advisable  to  hear  a  few  Germans  in  or- 
der to  settle  the  point.  Professor  Delbriick,  writing 
in  "  Das  preussische  Jahrbuch,"  1912,  p.  169:  "  To- 


254  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

day  the  army  is  the  people  and  the  people  the 
army." 

Count  Loringboren,  Commander  of  the  22nd  Di- 
vision in  the  Prussian  Army,  in  his  book,  "  The  Fun- 
damentals of  Military  Success"  (Berlin,  1914), 
writes :  "  A  modern  war  must  be  popular.  When 
everybody,  down  to  the  last  man  in  the  nation,  is 
convinced  that  the  honour  and  existence  of  the  Fa- 
therland are  at  stake,  then  an  army,  which  is  the 
nation  in  arms,  will  perform  wonders." 

Herr  von  Biilow,  at  that  time  Imperial  Chancel- 
lor, addressing  the  Reichstag  in  1901,  said:  "  In  no 
country  in  the  world  are  the  army  and  people  so 
closely  united  as  in  Germany.  When  we  say  the 
army  is  the  German  nation  in  arms,  that  is  not  an 
empty  phrase,  but  the  simple  truth.  Therefore  it 
follows  of  a  necessity  that  he  who  insults  the  Ger- 
man army  insults  the  German  people." 

A  whole  literature,  including  many  popular  illus- 
trated works,  has  been  published  in  Germany  under 
the  title  *'  Das  Volk  in  Waffen  "  ("  The  Nation  in 
Arms  ") .  All  Germans  would  be  amused  at  any  at- 
tempt to  separate  them,  and  still  the  gentlemen  al- 
ready named,  and  correspondents  in  the  Christian 
Worldy  have  been  endeavouring  for  months  past  to 
convince  England  that  the  German  army  and  people 
are  not  one  and  the  same.  Having  danced  to  Ger- 
man Bauernfdngerei  music  before  the  war,  they  are 
even  now  not  content  with  having  been  duped  and  in 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  255 

having  duped  others;  new  phrases  are  quickly  In- 
vented to  cover  their  shame,  and  they  begin  to  scream 
"  war  against  war,"  the  "  destruction  of  Prussian- 
ism,"  yet  there  is  no  evidence  that  they  have  informed 
themselves  in  the  meantime  as  to  the  nature  of  Prus- 
sianism.  Before  the  war  they  led  by  ignorance, 
and  they  are  proceeding  again  to  find  dupes  for  the 
second  phase  of  their  Ignorance. 

This  should  be  sufficient  answer  to  the  sentimen- 
talists who  would  see  the  German  people  loved. 
The  crime  of  this  aggressive  war  does  not  lie  at  the 
Kaiser's  door,  but  the  German  nation  individually 
and  collectively  are  guilty  of  the  bloodshed  in  battle 
and  the  murders  and  rapes  in  the  towns  and  villages 
of  Belgium,  Poland  and  Northern  France. 

Freedom  of  speech  is  a  priceless  jewel  of  which 
Englishmen  are  justly  proud,  but  it  can  be  abused, 
and  it  has  never  been  more  abused  than  during  the 
last  dozen  years  by  those  Englishmen  who  have 
talked  about  a  great  country  (Germany)  without 
having  troubled  to  study  the  elements  of  the  ques- 
tion on  which  they  talked  so  glibly.  The  result  of 
their  ignorance,  charlatanism  and  open  abuse  of 
their  right  to  free  speech  is  this :  Many  thousands, 
perhaps  hundreds  of  thousands,  of  Englishmen  must 
sleep  their  last  sleep  on  the  blood-stained  battlefields 
of  Europe.  As  usual,  the  charlatans  remain  in  se- 
curity and  invent  new  wiles,  while  the  victims  of  their 
ante-war  Bauernfdngerei  are  being  shot  and  bayonet- 


256  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

ted  to  make  good  the  evil  caused  by  a  fatal  combina- 
tion of  Ignorance  and  freedom  of  speech. 

There  Is  one  other  Item  of  Bauernfdngerei  to 
discuss,  and  that  Is  the  unity  of  the  German  people 
in  this  world  struggle.  This  has  been  achieved  by 
the  Prince  of  Bauernf anger  —  the  German  Kaiser. 

In  the  quotation  from  the  work  of  a  German 
general  given  above,  the  principle  Is  laid  down  that 
the  nation  must  be  convinced  to  the  last  man  of  the 
justice  of  their  cause.  That  condition  is  fulfilled  In 
the  case  of  the  German  nation  to-day;  they  are  united 
and  enthusiastic  In  support  of  the  war. 

For  years  the  Kaiser  has  astutely  cultivated  the 
reputation  for  being  a  religious  and  peace-loving 
monarch.  The  German  nation  believed  that  to  be 
his  true  character  —  it  was  merely  Bauernfdngerei. 
In  consequence  the  nation  was  predisposed  to  believe 
that  the  Kaiser  would  never  begin  a  war,  therefore 
the  Germans  believed  him  when  he  said  that  he  did 
not  want  war  and  that  Germany  was  not  the  ag- 
gressor. From  the  window  of  the  imperial  palace 
he  told  his  people  to  go  to  church  and  pray  (July 
31st,  1 9 14).  Since  that  date  the  Deity  has  been 
invoked  on  numerous  occasions  and  the  German  peo- 
ple again  and  again  assured  that  God  Is  on  their 
side.  Rather  than  discuss  this  point  the  writer  pre- 
fers to  leave  it  for  the  Kaiser  to  settle  with  the 
Almighty  himself;  religion  is  a  matter  for  the  indi- 
vidual conscience. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  257 

It  IS,  however,  noteworthy  that  the  German  peo- 
ple accept  their  monarch's  assurances.  The  Kaiser 
has  convinced  them  that  their  hearths  and  homes  are 
In  the  greatest  danger,  but  he  conceals  the  fact  that 
he  himself  endangered  them.  They  believe  his  ver- 
islon  and  are  prepared  to  defend  them.  He  has  told 
his  people  that  England  engineered  this  war  in  order 
to  annihilate  Germany;  but  the  Kaiser  Is  again  guilty 
of  suppressio  veri,  for  he  neglects  to  Inform  his  sub- 
jects that  England  offered  Germany  friendship  *  and 
that  the  present  Government  possibly  exceeded  the 
limits  of  common  sense  in  Its  humane  endeavours  to 
guarantee  the  world's  peace.  His  subjects  believe 
him  Implicitly  and  are  united  In  an  unjust  cause, 
which  Is  the  supreme  triumph  of  Bauernfdngerei. 

To-day  the  aggressors  believe  they  are  the 
attacked,  the  brutal  believe  themselves  to  be  the 
standard-bearers  of  the  highest  culture,  the  war- 
worshippers  are  convinced  that  they  are  lambs  un- 
justly torn  by  the  dogs  of  war,  and,  lastly,  the 
materialistic  pagan  nation  adores  Itself  as  the  Instru- 
ment of  God!  Nothing  other  than  the  magnetic 
personality  of  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II  could  have 
achieved  this  masterpiece  of  hypnotism. 

Those  who  employ  doubtful  means  In  pursuance 

*Dr.  Paul  Michaelis,  in  his  work,  "Von  Bismarck  bis  Beth- 
mann"  (Berlin,  1911),  writes,  on  p.  129:  "Thereby  we  may  not 
overlook  the  fact  that  the  English  Government  has  repeatedly 
stretched  out  the  hand  of  friendship  to  us  in  order  to  arrive  at  an 
agreement." 


258  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

of  more  doubtful  ends,  often  accuse  the  other  side 
with  using  the  same  methods ;  hence  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing to  find  English  offers  of  friendship  called  Bauern- 
f anger ei  by  Germans.  Mr.  ChurchilPs  attempts  to 
conciliate  Germany  on  the  naval  question  were  con- 
sidered **  sharp  practice  '*  in  the  Fatherland.  In  the 
April  number  of  "  Das  preussische  Jahrbuch,"  19 12, 
it  is  openly  conceded  that  Germans  looked  upon  Mr. 
ChurchilFs  efforts  as  Bauernfdngerei, 

The  present  writer  believes  that  the  whole  of  the 
English  cabinet  desired  peace  and  did  everything 
which  was  humanly  possible  to  avoid  a  conflict,  but 
he  never  met  a  German,  high  or  low,  who  shared  his 
opinion.  In  England  (as  well  as  in  other  countries) 
the  German  State  has  **  inspired  "  the  opinion  that 
Germans  loved  peace  and  desired  nothing  else. 
The  same  State  has  told  its  own  subjects  that  Eng- 
land wanted  war  and  was  using  the  most  fiendish 
methods  to  bring  about  war.  In  England  the  German 
State  preached  peace  and  found  dupes  to  echo  the 
dulcet  notes  of  the  Lorelei ;  within  her  own  territories 
she  taught  that  war  is  salvation,  and  she  prepared  for 
war  down  to  the  letter  Z  in  the  military  alphabet. 

The  semi-official  announcement  made  in  the  Co- 
logne Gazette  for  August  ist,  19 14,  that  Germany 
had  no  idea  of  violating  Belgian  neutrality  was  also 
a  confidence  trick,  but  that  example  pales  into  insig- 
nificance when  compared  with  the  one  attempted  in 
Berlin  on  the  British  Ambassador  and  by  Prince 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  259 

Lichnowskl  In  London.^  England  was  assured  that 
If  she  remained  neutral  and  France  was  overthrown, 
then  Germany  would  only  demand  territory  outside 
Europe,  i.e.,  French  colonies.  Supposing  that  Eng- 
land had  pursued  that  course,  and  supposing  that 
Germany  had  conquered  France  without  marching 
through  Belgium,  then  how  could  England  have  pre- 
vented Germany  from  annexing  French  provinces  or 
Belgium  and  Holland?  This  was  undoubtedly  Ger- 
many's hope,  and  because  England  Intervened  Ger- 
many knew  that  her  Immediate  hope  of  making 
herself  paramount  In  Europe  was  frustrated.  The 
Bauernfdngerei  of  annexing  only  French  colonies 
failed.  Germany  Intended  to  annex  French  prov- 
inces, Including  Burgundy. 

The  author  of  the  secret  report  to  the  Kaiser, 
given  in  full  In  the  "  French  Yellow  Book,"  ex- 
pressly states  that  after  France  is  overthrown  "  We 
shall  then  remember  that  the  provinces  of  the  old 
German  Empire,  the  county  of  Burgundy  and  a  large 
portion  of  Lorraine  are  still  in  the  hands  of  the 
Franks,  that  thousands  of  our  German  brothers  of 
the  Baltic  provinces  groan  under  the  yoke  of  the 
Slav.  It  Is  a  national  matter  to  give  back  to  Ger- 
many what  she  formerly  possessed." 

^  When  Prince  Lichnowski  was  appointed  Ambassador  to  the 
Court  of  St.  James,  Germans  laughed  at  the  Kaiser's  ruse  in  send- 
ing a  man  to  London  who  had  English  sympathies.  It  was  consid- 
ered a  good  trick  to  keep  the  English  quiet  till  German  preparations 
were  more  advanced. 


260  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

The  programme  is  not  new.  On  two  occasions 
when  speaking  in  the  Reichstag  Prince  Bismarck  said 
the  next  war  with  France  would  be  saigner  a  hlanc  ^ 
(till  the  blood  runs  white).  France  was  to  be 
smashed  for  ever  and  her  fairest  provinces  joined  to 
the  German  Empire.  On  July  25th,  19 14,  the 
writer  spent  the  evening  with  some  half-dozen  pro- 
fessors from  Erlangen  University.  Among  them 
was  Dr.  Beckmann,  professor  of  history.  This  was 
the  evening  on  which  the  Austrian  ultimatum  expired 
and  considerable  excitement  prevailed.  Professor 
Beckmann  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  ultimatum 
had  been  worded  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  war 
inevitable.  Germany  wanted  war,  the  time  had  at 
last  arrived  for  saigner  a  hlanc.  He  was  perfectly 
correct  in  his  supposition.  The  subject  of  the  next 
war  with  France  had  often  been  discussed  in  our 
weekly  meetings,  and  the  opinion  was  unanimous  that 
Burgundy  and  Lorraine  would  be  taken  from 
France,  but  the  methods  would  be  different  from 
those  us6d  in  1870.  "We  shall  drive  out  every 
French  subject  and  fill  the  conquered  provinces  with 
German  settlers.  Then  we  shall  not  have  a  difficult 
population  to  govern,  as  is  the  case  in  the  provinces 
annexed  by  Bismarck  in  1870." 

®This  Bismarcklan  piece  of  bullying  is  quoted  in  "  Das  preussische 
Jahrbuch,"  1897,  page  475,  as  an  argument  in  favour  of  building  a 
great  German  fleet.  Every  educated  German  knows  the  phrase, 
and  all  have  looked  forward  to  the  saigner-a-blanc  war  with 
France. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  ^61 

The  writer  has  heard  the  same  views  expressed 
among  all  classes  of  Germans,  Including  army  offi- 
cers. Fortunately  the  confidence  trick  was  played 
without  success  against  Sir  Edward  Goschen  and  the 
London  Cabinet. 

Germany  has  tried  her  Bauernfdngerei  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  It  commenced  when 
Prince  Henry  —  the  Kaiser's  brother  —  visited  the 
United  States  a  few  years  ago.  The  customary  ef- 
fusive, superficial  politeness  has  been  lavished 
upon  distinguished  Americans  when  visiting  Berlin. 
Americans  were  welcome  in  Germany  because  they 
spent  money  freely  —  German  Michael  loves  money. 

The  writer  doubts,  however,  that  Americans  were 
more  sincerely  respected  than  the  English;  press 
comments  and  conversations  with  the  man  In  the 
street  support  the  opposite  theory.  A  Munich  hu- 
morist dubbed  the  Americans  der  zahlende  Mob 
(the  paying  mob),  and  this  coarse  witticism  was 
copied  from  a  Munich  comic  paper  into  half  the 
papers  in  the  Fatherland.  The  writer  has  heard  it 
quoted  with  gusto  on  many  occasions ;  It  has,  In  fact, 
become  the  popular  name  for  Uncle  Sam,  like  Stock- 
En  ^lander  (stupid,  obstinate  Englishman)  is  the 
everyday  phrase  for  the  sons  of  Albion. 

With  the  commencement  of  the  war,  however, 
Herr  Dernburg  &  Co.  began  another  Bauernfdngerei 
campaign  In  the  United  States  which  may  be  safely 
left  to  the  judgment  of  American  common  sense. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE   KAISER   OF   KULTUR 

THE  author  takes  up  this  part  of  his  task  with  a 
certain  amount  of  diffidence.  It  is  not  easy 
to  learn  anything  which  is  new  concerning  Germany's 
"  very  Highest  War  Lord  "  {Allerhochster  Kriegs- 
herr)  ;  if  the  Kaiser  is  mentioned  in  public  all  eyes 
are  at  once  turned  upon  the  speaker  and  Germans 
assume  a  waiting,  listening  attitude.  The  Emperor 
may  say  what  he  likes  —  sense  or  nonsense  —  and 
the  law  protects  both  his  person  and  his  utterances 
from  any  drastic  form  of  criticism.  At  the  same 
time  the  law  makes  it  impossible  for  citizens,  high  or 
low,  to  say  what  they  think,  when  it  is  not  of  a  flat- 
tering nature,  concerning  His  Majesty. 

The  writer  is  compelled  for  the  most  part  to  let 
the  Kaiser  speak  for  himself  or  to  quote  opinions 
from  the  works  of  influential  Teutons.  Only  one 
episode  of  an  intimate  character  came  to  the  writer's 
ears. 

After  returning  from  a  visit  to  this  country  the 
Emperor  was  out  shooting  in  East  Prussia.  One  of 
the  gentlemen  in  attendance  accidentally  dropped  a 
small  English  flag  which  he  had  brought  back  from 
England.     The  Kaiser  observed  it  and  stamped  on 

262 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  263 

It  In  blind  rage,  with  the  remark:  "  EInes  Tages 
werde  ich  wirkllch  auf  diese  verfluchte  Flagge 
treten  "  ("  One  day  I  shall  really  stamp  on  this  ac- 
cursed flag").  The  writer  cannot  vouch  for  the 
truth  of  the  story,  but  he  can  conscientiously  assert 
that  It  had  currency  In  select  circles  and  was  believed 
to  reflect  the  Emperor's  true  sentiments  towards  his 
mother's  home. 

His  ostentatious  protestations  of  friendship  were 
considered  in  all  circles  to  be  a  diplomatic  pose 
{Bauernf anger ei)  ^  and  as  such  were  tolerated.  But 
If  the  pose  took  on  an  air  of  too  much  sincerity,  there 
was  immediately  a  national  outcry.  History  itself 
proves  that  the  Kaiser  hates  England. 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  however,  concerning  his 
popularity  in  Prussia.  In  the  home  of  reaction  he 
is  no  longer  a  mere  man,  but  an  Apollo  • —  a  god, 
sent  by  the  great  God.  No  observer  could  deny  that 
His  Majesty  is  an  exceedingly  clever  man,  versatile 
and  charming.  He  is  the  incarnation  of  the  na- 
tional character,  and  possesses  in  a  marked  degree 
the  traits  of  a  dazzling,  fascinating,  superficial  per- 
sonality. In  all  exteriors  he  is  perfection;  Germans 
live  for  exteriors,  and  the  imperial  exteriors  have 
captivated  the  popular  Imagination. 

The  centre  of  the  Kaiser's  universe  is  the  Kaiser 
himself,  and  his  romantic,  ardent  nature  has  led  him 
to  imagine  himself  to  be  the  centre  of  the  universe. 
If  this  were  not  the  case,  then  many  of  his  utter- 


S64<  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

ances  become  mystic  and  obscure  in  the  extreme. 

As  mentioned  above,  It  Is  Impossible  to  know  any- 
thing of  his  private  movements  or  convictions.  We 
can  only  portray  him  as  he  presents  himself  to  the 
public  eye,  or  allows  himself  to  be  presented  —  on 
most  occasions  that  Is  with  sword  and  helm,  or  as 
he  expressed  It  himself  ''  in  schimmernden  Wehr  '^ 
("  In  shining  armour  ").  We  can  only  guess  at  the 
inner  man  by  picturing  his  relation  and  attitude  to 
the  great  questions  and  realities  of  life. 

To  the  Emperor  the  greatest  reality  is  his  high 
office,  and  that  he  is  the  right  man  in  the  right  place 
he  has  not  a  shadow  of  a  doubt. 

In  a  speech  delivered  in  Konlgsberg,  he  informed 
his  hearers :  "  Here  my  grandfather  set  the  crown 
of  Prussia  upon  his  head,  thereby  emphasizing  once 
more  that  it  was  given  him  by  God's  grace  alone  — 
and  not  by  Parliaments,  National  Assemblies,  or  Na- 
tional Committees.  Thus  he  made  known  to  the 
world  that  he  considered  himself  an  instrument 
chosen  by  heaven,  and  as  such  performed  the  func- 
tions of  a  king  and  monarch.  Adorned  with  this 
crown  he  went  into  the  field  and  added  to  it  the 
Kaiser's  crown." 

The  Emperor  gives  his  unquestioning  allegiance 
to  the  doctrine  of  divine  right,  and  he  has  made 
many  efforts  to  convince  his  subjects  of  the  sacred- 
ness  of  his  person  and  the  divine  origin  of  his  mis- 
sion. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  265 

"  It  is  a  tradition  of  our  house  to  consider  our- 
selves as  enthroned  by  God,"  he  exclaimed  on 
another  occasion.  In  the  same  year  (1890)  he 
wrote  in  the  "  Golden  Book  of  Munich  " :  "  Su- 
prema  lex  regis  voluntas."  In  the  "  Imperial  Gol- 
den Book"  he  wrote  on  November  19th,  1899: 
"  The  king  Is  of  God's  grace,  therefore  he  Is  only 
responsible  to  the  Lord.  He  may  only  choose  his 
path  and  duties  from  this  point  of  view.  That  is 
kingship  by  divine  right.  No  mere  man,  no  Min- 
ister, no  Parliament,  no  people  can  free  him  from  his 
never-ceasing,  everlasting  cares  and  duties,  and  their 
awful  responsibility  to  the  Creator  alone." 

The  Kaiser  seems  keenly  alive  to  the  duties  of 
his  high  office,  for  he  often  talks  of  them.  "  I  shall 
go  my  way,  which  is  devoted  to  the  well-being  and 
peaceful  development  of  our  Fatherland.  Consid- 
ering myself  as  God's  instrument,  I  shall  pay  no  at- 
tention to  the  views  and  opinions  of  the  day." — 
Konlgsberg,  August  25th,  19 10. 

"  I  look  upon  my  country  as  a  talent  entrusted  to 
me  by  God,  which  it  is  my  duty  to  Increase.  I  intend 
to  husband  my  talent  like  the  good  husbandman, 
hence  I  hope  to  add  a  few  more  to  it.  Those  who 
will  help  me  in  this  work  are  heartily  welcome  — 
whoever  they  be ;  those  who  oppose  me  I  will  smash." 
—  Banquet  of  the  Brandenburg  Provincial  Diet, 
March  5th,  1890. 

The  latter  speech  is  of  great  interest  at  a  moment 


266  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

when  the  Kaiser  has  added  Luxembourg,  Belgium 
and  a  part  of  Poland  to  his  country.  Three  talents 
added  —  temporarily !  Further,  he  has  kept  his 
royal  word  and  smashed  Belgium,  which  opposed  the 
"  adding ''  process. 

Even  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  it  would  seem 
that  the  Kaiser's  thoughts  were  directed  towards  the 
acquisition  of  French  provinces  or  colonies  —  Ger- 
man expansion. 

Throughout,  the  Emperor  is  consistent  in  his 
claim  of  special  relationship  to  God.  This  is  a 
question  which  cannot  be  discussed.  The  Kaiser's 
vociferations  that  God  appointed  him  are  merely  a 
projection  of  his  inner  consciousness,  and  must  be 
the  result  of  either  Grossenwahn  (swelled-head  and 
self-deception)  ;  Bauernfdngeret  (the  confidence- 
trick)  ;  or  sincere  conviction.  The  writer  is  unable 
to  prove  either  of  these  hypotheses,  and  prefers  to 
leave  them  as  such;  yet  there  is  an  interesting  side 
which  may  not  be  overlooked. 

We  have  in  these  imperial  utterances  the  Kaiser's 
estimation  of  himself,  which  we  are  free  to  accept 
or  reject.  That  is  not  true  in  regard  to  his  own 
subjects;  they  must  accept  the  valuation  which  he 
places  upon  himself. 

We  may  classify  the  Kaiser's  claim  to  divine  au- 
thority with  the  claims  made  by  Smythe-Piggot,  but 
Germans  must  admit  it  —  or  at  least  maintain  a  dis- 
creet silence.     It  is  easy  to  get  inside  a  German 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  267 

prison!  The  Social  Democrats  have  done  good,  by 
cautious  work,  In  exposing  this  arrant  nonsense  that 
God  has  chosen  the  Hohenzollerns,  etc.,  ad  nauseam. 
Such  revolting  claims  only  compel  "  the  man  in  the 
street "  to  revise  his  ideas  on  the  Intelligence  of  a 
God  who  could  make  such  a  choice. 

England  has  no  right  to  play  the  role  of  Oliver 
Cromwell  within  German  territories,  but  when  these 
ideas  are  employed  to  arouse  the  enthusiasm  of  mil- 
lions of  ''  kultured  "  brute-men  and  to  give  divine 
sanction  to  the  Kaiser's  crimes  against  humanity, 
then  it  is  high  time  for  the  supreme  frivolity  of  di- 
vine right  of  kings  to  be  smashed  from  the  interna- 
tional point  of  view,  just  as  the  Puritans  destroyed 
it  within  national  limits. 

A  doctrine  which  was  a  curse  within  a  nation, 
becomes  a  vastly  greater  curse  when  It  is  an  Inspiring 
motive  for  a  monarch  and  his  people  in  international 
dealings. 

The  Kaiser  has  himself  laid  down  the  limits  of 
national  liberty,  which  comprise  the  same  freedom 
accorded  to  Hottentots  In  Africa  and  far  less  free- 
dom than  the  United  States  has  granted  to  coloured 
subjects.  "  Freedom  of  thought,  freedom  In  reli- 
gion and  freedom  for  scientific  research  —  that  is  the 
liberty  which  I  wish  for  the  German  people  and 
which  I  would  fight  to  obtain  for  them;  but  not  the 
liberty  to  govern  themselves  badly,  as  they  like." — 
Speech  delivered  in  Gorlitz,  November  28th,  1902. 


268  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  Emperor  care- 
fully excludes  freedom  of  speech  and  political  lib- 
erty. 

The  Bavarian  peasant  grants  the  swine  which  he 
fattens  for  market  the  same  degree  of  freedom;  the 
pig  in  the  sty  may  think  as  it  likes  and  stir  up  the 
mire  in  "  scientific  research;  "  but  there  its  activities 
end  till  the  time  comes  for  its  slaughter.  The 
Kaiser  has  kept  his  subjects  on  a  similar  level,  till 
the  moment  for  international  slaughter  arrived. 

On  more  than  one  occasion  he  begged  those  who 
were  not  content  with  his  order  of  things  to  leave 
the  country  which  God  gave  to  him  alone.  "  The 
world  belongs  to  the  living,  and  the  living  are  right. 
I  will  not  tolerate  pessimists  or  men  not  suited  to 
work.  If  they  like  then  can  go  in  search  of  a  better 
land." — September  9th,  1906. 

Such  language  makes  one  wonder  what  would 
have  happened  to  Messrs.  Keir  Hardie,  Ramsay 
Macdonald  and  G.  B.  Shaw  if  fate  had  kindly  ar- 
ranged their  birth  as  German  subjects.  Would  they 
have  grown  up  into  meek,  passive  German  subjects 
of  the  Kaiser,  with  brutal  instincts  against  their  fel- 
low-men, like  their  comrades,  the  German  Social 
Democrats  ?  Or  would  they  —  all  three  rolled  into 
one  —  have  sufficed  to  make  a  German  Oliver  Crom- 
well? The  writer  doubts  the  latter  proposition,  be- 
cause these  gentlemen  are  talkers  under  conditions 
where  there  is  no  danger  to  a  hair  of  their  heads, 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  269 

while  Oliver  Cromwell  was  a  man  of  action  amid  the 
greatest  dangers  to  life  and  limb. 

Although  the  Kaiser,  according  to  his  report,  ob- 
tained his  crown  direct  from  God,  he  places  little 
confidence,  Indeed,  In  the  power  or  the  will  of  the 
Almighty  to  maintain  his  rights  to  It.  The  right  to 
govern  Is  of  divine  origin,  but  the  means  and  meth- 
ods to  rule  are  earthly.  A  divine  crown  cannot 
remain  suspended  In  mId-aIr,  therefore  the  Kaiser 
lays  great  weight  upon  the  army  as  its  support. 

It  was  not  chance  but  sagacity  which  led  the 
German  Emperor,  on  his  succession  to  the  throne, 
to  address  his  two  first  proclamations  to  the  army 
and  navy;  his  third  pronouncement  was  to  the  Ger- 
man people. 

In  his  endeavours  to  convince  the  army  of  the 
righteousness  of  his  authority,  the  Kaiser  shrinks 
from  nothing.  Again  and  again  he  reiterates  the 
necessity  for  a  soldier  to  be  pious  and  repeat  his 
paternosters,  but  In  spite  of  all  that,  he  must,  at  the 
command  of  his  War  Lord,  attack  in  blind  obedi- 
ence, and  If  mother  and  father,  brother  and  sister 
are  against  him,  he  must  murder  even  them  —  for 
the  honour  of  the  War  Lord. 

At  Potsdam,  November  23rd,  1891,  the  Kaiser, 
in  addressing  young  soldiers  after  taking  the  oath  of 
fidelity,  said: 

*'  You  have  sworn  fidelity  to  me;  that  means,  chll-  f 
dren  of  my  Guard,  you  are  now  soldiers  and  have 


4 
270  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

to  submit  to  me,  body  and  soul.  For  you  there  is 
only  one  enemy,  and  that  is  my  enemy.  It  can  hap- 
pen in  consequence  of  the  present  socialistic  agita- 
tion, that  I  shall  command  you  to  shoot  down  your 
own  relations,  brothers  —  even  parents  —  which, 
God  forbid;  but  even  then  you  would  have  to  obey 
my  command." 

An  extract  from  another  effusion  in  the  same  year 
runs :  "  The  soldier  and  the  army  have  made  the 
German  Empire  —  not  parliamentary  majorities. 
My  trust  is  in  the  army."  ^ 

Another  quotation  is  from  a  speech  to  recruits  on 
November  i6th,  1893:  "  I  want  Christian  soldiers 
who  say  the  Lord's  Prayer.  The  soldier  must  not 
have  his  will,  but  you  must  all  have  one  will,  and 
that  is  my  will.  There  is  only  one  law,  and  that  is 
my  law." 

The  Kaiser's  relationship  to  his  army,  so  clearly 
laid  down  in  these  utterances,  exposes  another  of  the 
essential  evils  which  have  led  up  to  the  present  war. 
An  autocrat  who  claims  to  be  God's  chosen  instru- 
ment has  under  his  supreme  command  a  nation  in 
arms  which  can  probably  put  ten  million  men  in  the 
field. 

This  monarch  believes  that  he  is  subject  to  one 
law  alone  —  his  own  will.  He  has  announced  it  to 
be  his  sacred  duty  to  add  several  talents  to  the  one 
(Germany)  which  God  entrusted  to  him.     We  will 

1  Not  in  God,  on  this  occasion. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

not  discuss  the  question  "  Who  gave  the  Kalsei 
unlimited  power?"  We  may  even  grant  his  clamT 
that  God  gave  it  to  him,  but  it  concerns  humanity- 
very  nearly  as  to  how  he  has  employed  it.  Within 
his  empire  he  has  used  it  to  bolster  up  medievalism 
and  crass  injustice  —  that  is  a  matter  for  the  German 
people  to  settle  with  him.  Further,  he  has  used  his 
might  to  grab  other  nations'  talents  in  the  present 
war  of  aggression. 

It  is  known  that  Germany  was  responsible  for  the 
ultimatum  to  Servia;  it  has  been  proved  that  Ger- 
many alone  prevented  Russia  and  Austria  from  com- 
ing to  terms.  When  the  crisis  became  acute  the 
Kaiser  was  on  a  holiday  tour  In  Norway;  educated 
Germans,  Including  officers,  freely  expressed  the 
opinion  that  he  only  went  there  as  a  blind  —  to 
deepen  the  Impression  on  his  people  that  he  had 
nothing  to  do  with  it. 

On  July  25th,  Dr.  Spuler,  professor  of  anatomy 
at  Erlangen  University  and  an  officer  of  the  reserve, 
told  the  writer  that  he  had  received  his  orders  and 
war  was  certain.  At  that  moment  the  ultimatum 
to  Servia  had  not  expired.  King  Ludwig  of  Ba- 
varia was  to  have  visited  Erlangen  on  July  27th  — 
the  visit  was  cancelled  by  telegraph  on  July 
25th. 

On  Sunday,  July  26th,  the  garrison  In  Erlangen 
received  twenty-four  hours'  leave  of  absence  to  visit 
their  friends.     During  the  following  days  reservists 


272  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

began  to  pour  into  the  barracks,  but  in  a  manner 
which  would  escape  observation.  The  men  were 
ordered  to  present  themselves  at  various  hours  of  the 
day;  literally  they  came  in  like  stragglers,  and  after 
Monday  evening  of  July  27th  no  one  was  permitted 
to  leave  the  barracks.  The  writer  heard  this  from 
friends  living  opposite  to  the  buildings  in  question, 
and  also  through  the  correspondence  of  a  sergeant  in 
the  barracks. 

On  July  27th  at  10  p.m.  the  writer  saw  a  reserve 
officer  in  khaki  going  to  the  barracks,  and  on 
Thursday  morning  he  met  a  former  Erlangen  stu- 
dent (Hans  Schlund),  a  married  man  living  in 
Coburg.  He  informed  the  writer  that  he  belonged 
to  the  Ersatz-Reserve  (substitute  reserves,  about  the 
fourth  line  of  reserves),  and  that  he  had  to  be  in 
the  barracks  at  10  a.m.  The  gentleman  in  ques- 
tion is  over  thirty  years  of  age,  and  the  incident  is 
a  striking  proof  that  Germany's  mobilization  was  on 
July  30th  in  a  very  advanced  stage,  otherwise  it 
would  have  been  ridiculous  for  a  man  of  that  class 
to  be  joining  his  regiment.  Further,  it  must  not  be 
overlooked  that  he  had  travelled  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, which  shows  that  the  order  calling  him  up 
must  have  been  issued  several  days  before. 

Meanwhile  the  press  was  full  of  alarmist  reports 
concerning  Russia's  mobilization,  and  on  Wednes- 
day, July  29th,  two  Berlin  editors  were  thrown  into 
prison  for  reporting  the  mobilization  of  the  i6th  and 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  273 

17th  army  corps.  It  all  meant  that  the  Kaiser  was 
after  the  extra  talents. 

Mr.  Asquith  has  said  that  the  sword  shall  not  be 
sheathed  till  Prussianism  is  broken.  We  all  hope  to 
see  that  end  attained,  but  the  greatest  lesson  to  be 
learned  from  the  present  struggle  is  this:  The 
armed  forces  of  Germany  must  be  under  popular 
control  in  future,  not  under  the  control  of  a  divine- 
right  Kaiser.  It  must  never  be  possible  again  for  a 
German  ruler  to  declare  war  and  then  summon  a 
parliament. 

Oliver  Cromwell  taught  his  country  a  great  lesson, 
and  it  Is  England's  imperative  duty  to  teach  that 
lesson  to  Germany  and  as  far  as  possible  to  other 
existing  autocracies. 

The  writer  does  not  believe  that  this  will  be  the 
last  war  on  earth;  but  he  believes  that  if  armaments 
are  under  popular  control,  wars  may  be  reduced  to 
a  minimum. 

Another  principle  which  our  Statesmen  should 
strive  to  establish  is,  that  those  who  provoked  the 
war  should  be  made  personally  responsible.  Crimi- 
nals are  punished  to  meet  the  ends  of  justice  and  to 
restrain  others  with  like  tendencies.  If  the  German 
autocracy.  Including  the  Kaiser  and  Crown  Prince, 
receive  punishment  commensurate  with  their  crimes, 
that  will  act  as  a  deterrent  to  all  autocratic  rulers  for 
generations,  perhaps  for  ever. 

History  shows  that  It  is  generally  the  masses  which 


^74  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

must  endure  all  the  bitter  harvest  of  war;  but  if  this 
war  establishes  the  principle  that  monarchs,  who 
unsheathe  the  sword  under  the  banner  of  divine 
right,  can  and  will  be  called  to  the  bar  of  humanity, 
then  the  bloodshed  will  not  have  been  in  vain. 

This  is  no  time  for  mincing  words ;  the  Kaiser  and 
Crown  Prince,  aided  and  abetted  by  the  General 
Staff  in  Berlin,  are  guilty  of  the  foulest  crime  in  his- 
tory, and  if  they  cannot  personally  be  made  respon- 
sible and  punished,  then  it  would  have  been  better 
for  England  not  to  enter  the  war,  to  accept  dishon- 
our and  await  her  final  absorption  into  the  German 
Empire  —  as  one  of  the  Kaiser's  "  other  talents." 

It  has  been  pointed  out  in  another  chapter  that 
the  Kaiser  excludes  all  clergymen  from  the  political 
arena,  and  one  more  quotation  will  suffice  to  illustrate 
his  attitude  to  religion.  Addressing  an  assembly  in 
the  monastery  at  Beuron  in  November,  19 lo,  he  used 
these  words :  "  I  expect  you  to  support  me  in  my  en- 
deavours to  preserve  religion  for  the  nation.  The 
governments  of  Christian  princes  can  only  be  con- 
ducted according  to  the  teachings  of  the  Lord.  They 
should  help  to  strengthen  the  religious  feeling  which 
is  innate  in  Germans,  and  to  increase  reverence  for 
Church  and  Throne.  Both  these  belong  together 
and  cannot  be  separated." 

The  great  party  of  "  enlightenment "  and  freedom 
(  ?)  aroused  the  Kaiser's  deepest  anger.  What  the 
Kaiser  felt  he  generally  expressed  in  words,  and  his 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  275 

attacks  on  the  Social  Democratic  party  contain  some 
of  his  bitterest  diatribes. 

The  writer  is  in  agreement  with  some  of  the  im- 
perial strictures  on  that  party,  although  he  holds 
they  are  quite  out  of  place  on  the  lips  of  a  monarch. 

To  a  deputation  of  colliers  in  May,  1889,  the  Em- 
peror said :  "  Every  Socialist,  in  my  opinion,  means 
an  enemy  to  Empire  and  Fatherland.  They  are 
the  Fatherlandless  enemies  of  the  divine  order  of 
things."  As  a  prophet  the  Kaiser  has  been  singu- 
larly unfortunate,  for  in  1899  he  expressed  the  opin- 
ion that  Social  Democracy  is  only  a  passing  phenome- 
non. Each  successive  election  since  that  year  has 
been  a  proof  of  the  folly  of  his  prophecy.  Over  the 
grave  of  the  late  Herr  Krupp  he  charged  the  Socialist 
party  with  Krupp's  murder.^ 

Another  deputation  of  workmen  was  received  by 
the  Kaiser  at  Breslau  on  December  12th,  1902,  and 
listened  to  the  following  oration: 

"  For  years  you  and  your  German  brothers  have 
allowed  yourselves  to  be  held  by  the  agitators  of  the 
Socialists  In  the  mad  belief  that  if  you  do  not  belong 
to  their  party,  you  are  not  respected,  and  are  not  in 
a  position  to  obtain  a  hearing  for  your  just  demands 
towards  the  bettering  of  your  condition.     That  Is  a 

2  The  Social  Democratic  press  charged  Herr  Krupp  with  un- 
natural offences  against  morality.  Officially  it  was  announced  that 
the  "  libels "  had  hastened  his  death.  Report  said  that  he  had 
committed  suicide  so  that  his  mode  of  life  in  his  Italian  villa 
should  not  be  exposed  in  a  court  of  law. 


276  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

vile  lie  and  an  error.  Instead  of  representing  you 
in  a  disinterested  way,  these  agitators  have  only 
stirred  up  strife  against  your  employers,  against  the 
other  social  classes  and  against  the  Throne  and  Al- 
tar. At  the  same  time  they  have  exploited  you  in  a 
most  unscrupulous  manner,  terrorized  and  enslaved 
you  in  order  to  increase  their  power.  You  can  have 
nothing  more  to  do  with  such  men  or  allow  your- 
selves to  be  led  by  them.  Send  simple  comrades  out 
of  your  own  midst  into  parliament  and  they  will  be 
welcome." 

The  Kaiser's  methods  when  dealing  with  the  Prus- 
sian nobility  are  of  a  very  different  kind.  His  policy 
has  been  to  treat  the  army  as  the  first  and  the  Junkers 
as  the  second  pillar  supporting  his  power.  Any  dif- 
ferences between  himself  and  the  aristocracy  have  al- 
ways been  settled  in  the  spirit  of  domestic  quarrels. 

On  one  such  occasion  the  Kaiser  said  that  opposi- 
tion to  their  king  on  the  part  of  this  powerful  class 
was  an  absurdity.  He  appealed  to  them  not  to  fly  to 
arms  in  political  opposition,  but  to  approach  him  In 
confidence.  "  My  door  is  always  open  to  every  one 
of  my  subjects,  and  I  gladly  listen  to  them.  For  the 
future  let  that  be  your  way,  and  everything  which  has 
happened  previous  to  this  I  consider  as  blotted  out  of 
remembrance."  It  is  indeed  another  tone  to  the  one 
employed  In  dealing  with  his  opponents. 

But  to  Englishmen  the  most  Interesting  side  of  the 
Emperor's  must  be  his  attitude  to  the  naval  question. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  277 

for  to  us  that  is  a  matter  of  existence.  The  entire 
movement  of  naval  expansion  was  begun  and  engi- 
neered by  Kaiser  Wilhelm,  and  whether  the  German 
fleet  brings  fortune  or  misfortune  to  the  German  peo- 
ple, they  have  to  thank  their  Kaiser.  It  was  he 
who  converted  first  the  Junkers  and  then  the  Social 
Democrats  to  his  plans.  His  insatiable  vanity  and 
misguided  ambition  have  been  the  prime  forces  which 
have  brought  about  a  conflict  with  England.  "  It 
Is  no  exaggeration  to  assert  that  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II. 
had  already  taken  a  firm  resolution  when  he  ascended 
the  throne  to  create  for  the  German  Empire  a  great 
fleet."  ^  This  Is  no  empty  compliment  paid  by  an 
Imperial  satellite,  but  weighty  words  from  the  pen 
of  an  able  naval  and  political  writer. 

When  the  Kaiser  succeeded  to  the  crown  Count 
Caprlvl,  a  layman,  was  at  the  head  of  the  German 
Admiralty.  The  new  Emperor's  first  step  was  to 
remove  Caprlvl  and  replace  him  by  a  naval  officer, 
Vice-Admiral  Count  Monts.  His  predecessor's 
policy  had  been  aimed  at  defending  Germany's  coasts. 
The  new  minister  Immediately  broke  with  this  tra- 
dition. His  first  step,  under  orders  from  the  Kaiser, 
was  to  present  a  bill  to  the  Reichstag  demanding  four 
high-seas  battleships;  therewith  Caprivi's  coast-de- 
fence idea  was  definitely  and  finally  abandoned  and 
the  first  step  taken  towards  building  Germany's  fleet. 

3 "  Deutschland's     Auswartige     Politik"     ("German3r's    Foreign 
Policy"),  1888-1913,  by  Count  Reventlow,  p.  57. 


278  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

On  July  14th,  1888,  the  Kaiser  reviewed  the  fleet 
at  Kiel,  and  for  the  first  time  in  history  a  German 
Emperor  and  Prussian  King  appeared  there  in  ad- 
miral's uniform. 

As  Count  Reventlow  remarks,  there  were  various 
hindrances  which  prevented  the  immediate  realiza- 
tion of  the  imperial  schemes.  Among  others,  there 
were  the  conditions  in  the  Reichstag,  the  large  num- 
ber of  parties  and  their  irreconcilability ;  in  the  nation 
there  was  no  knowledge  or  understanding  for  the 
naval  question;  and  lastly  the  clumsy  representation 
in  the  parliament  by  the  Kaiser's  ministers.  Against 
all  these  the  Emperor  battled  with  vigour  and  per- 
sistency. But  the  year  of  Queen  Victoria's  Diamond 
Jubilee  brought  a  crisis. 

Prince  Henry,  the  Kaiser's  brother,  was  sent  to 
represent  Germany  at  the  festivities  in  London. 
The  ship  which  was  to  bring  the  Prince  to  the  English 
coast  was,  in  the  Kaiser's  opinion,  unworthy  of  the 
occasion  and  of  Germany.  On  April  4th,  1897,  the 
Kaiser  telegraphed  to  his  royal  brother.  **  I  regret 
exceedingly  that  I  cannot  put  a  better  ship  at  your 
disposal  for  this  celebration,  especially  when  all  other 
countries  are  represented  by  their  finest  warships.  It 
is  a  sad  consequence  of  the  manoeuvres  of  those  un- 
patriotic persons  who  have  prevented  the  construc- 
tion of  even  the  most  necessary  ships  of  war.  But 
I  shall  know  no  rest,  till  I  have  placed  our  navy 
on  a  par  for  strength  with  our  army." 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  279 

This  clever  thrust  at  his  enemies  was  followed  up 
in  the  same  year  by  two  steps  of  far  greater  impor- 
tance. Firstly  the  Kaiser  had  charts  and  statistics 
prepared  comparing  the  fleets  of  the  world,  and  had 
them  sent  to  all  the  larger  German  towns.  Sec- 
ondly Admiral  von  Tirpltz  was  appointed  to  the  Ad- 
miralty on  June  15th,  1897,  ^^^  ^  ^^w  era  began. 
The  new  minister's  policy  is  expressed  in  the  word 
Risikogedanke,  of  which  the  alleged  underlying  prin-' 
ciple  is :  Germany's  fleet  should  be  so  strong  that  no 
other  power,  not  even  the  greatest,  would  dare  to 
attack  her  without  running  the  gravest  risks. 

It  is  only  another  Teutonic  confidence  trick,  a  dip- 
lomatic way  of  expressing  her  ambition  for  naval 
supremacy.  If  the  German  fleet  Is  to  be  strong 
enough  to  threaten  "  grave  risk  "  to  England,  then  it 
must  be  nearly  on  an  equality,  and  from  that  stage 
it  Is  easy  to  proceed  to  one  of  equality,  and  finally 
to  superiority. 

Von  Tirpitz's  phrase  "  risk  policy  "  was  merely  an 
oflficial  diplomatic  term  to  lull  suspicions  in  England, 
for  Germany  could  not  use  a  term  defining  naval 
projects  beyond  that  limit.  Any  more  expressive 
term  would  have  been  of  a  necessity  an  open  threat 
to  England,  of  which  Germans  knew  quite  well  the 
consequences.  But  what  von  Tirpitz  omitted  to  say 
in  his  diplomatic  fiction  (a  fiction  meant  to  smooth 
over  German  opponents  to  naval  expansion,  as  well 
as  to  blind  the  English)  other  Germans  said  for  him. 


280  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

The  German  Navy  League,  the  Pan-German  agi- 
tators, a  large  section  of  the  German  press,  and  even 
the  "man  in  the  street,'*  said  quite  openly:  "We 
are  prepared  to  make  any  sacrifices  to  obtain  naval 
supremacy ;  for  without  that  our  commerce  is  at  Eng- 
land's mercy,  a  disgraceful  and  humiliating  prospect 
for  a  nation  in  every  way  superior  to  England." 

Reventlow  ^  writes  in  these  words  in  regard  to 
England:  "The  Kaiser's  wish  and  determination 
to  provide  the  German  Empire  with  a  great  fleet  is 
based  upon  an  eminent  political  idea.  He  (the 
Kaiser)  thought  that  till  Germany  possessed  a  great 
fleet,  we  Germans  must  endeavour  to  preserve  good 
relations  with  England,  and  to  that  end  it  was  neces- 
sary to  make  occasional  concessions.^ 

"  Within  certain  limits  this  policy  was  obvious. 
The  Kaiser  himself  has  given  expression  to  the 
thoughts  which  were  in  his  mind  and  directed  his 
actions.  On  January  i8th,  1896  (25th  anniversary 
of  the  German  Empire) ,  he  said :  *  A  world  empire 
has  grown  out  of  the  German  Empire.  It  is  your 
solemn  duty,  gentlemen,  to  help  me  to  bind  this 
greater  Germany  to  our  native  land.'  The  Kaiser's 
programme  is  the  direct  line  of  development  of  the 
German  Empire.  It  had  to  be  drawn  up  and  car- 
ried out." 

*  Count  Reventlow's  "  Deutschland's  Auswartige  Politik,"  p.  60. 

**  Germany  would  try  to  be  friends  with  England  till  she  had  a 
great  fleet.  After  she  had  the  wished-for  fleet,  on  what  terms  did 
Germany  intend  to  live  with  England? 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  281 

The  Emperor  has  delivered  many  speeches  during 
his  reign,  and  he  would  be  more  than  human  if  some 
seeming  contradictions  did  not  occur  in  them.  While 
agitating  for  a  greater  fleet  in  1901  he  remarked: 
"  We  have  won  our  place  in  the  sun,  although  we 
have  not  the  fleet  which  we  ought  to  possess." 

Generally,  the  necessity  for  a  great  fleet  was  en- 
forced by  the  argument  that  it  was  necessary  in  order 
to  procure  Germany's  place  in  the  sun.  In  the  same 
speech  Germany  was  provided  with  the  now  famous 
motto :     "  Our  future  is  on  the  water." 

The  echo  of  world  power  occurs  occasionally  in 
the  imperial  declamations;  thus  at  Bremen  on  March 
23rd,  1905:  "By  reason  of  my  experience  and 
knowledge  of  history,  I  have  sworn  never  to  strive 
after  barren  world  domination.  The  world  empire 
which  I  have  imagined,  shall  consist  in  this  —  that 
above  all,  the  newly-founded  German  Empire  shall 
enjoy  the  unbounded  confidence  of  everybody.  Ger- 
many shall  be  looked  upon  as  a  quiet,  honest,  peaceful 
neighbour,  so  that  if  a  future  historian  ever  speaks 
of  a  German  World  Empire,  or  a  Hohenzollern 
World  Domination,  he  shall  say  it  was  not  founded 
by  conquest  or  the  sword,  but  on  mutual  confidence 
between  the  nations  striving  after  the  same  goal. 
Every  German  battleship  which  is  launched  is  another 
guarantee  for  peace  on  earth,  and  our  opponents  will 
be  all  the  less  inclined  to  attack  us,  and  we,  all  the 
more  desirable  as  allies." 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  deeds  to  emphasize 
these  eloquent  words  are  remarkable  by  their  ab- 
sence from  the  Kaiser's  life.  Their  place  has  been 
taken  by  sabre-rattling  and  a  bullying  attitude  to 
Germany's  neighbours.  He  who  wished  to  found 
a  world  empire  on  confidence  should  have  shown 
confidence,  but  instead  of  placing  trust  in  her  neigh- 
bours, Germany  has  consistently  preached  the  doc- 
trine —  trust  only  your  own  arm  of  might. 

In  order  to  offer  conclusive  proof  that  the  Kaiser 
is  the  father  of  the  German  fleet  and  that  his  peo- 
ple look  up  to  him  as  such,  three  more  quotations 
from  German  sources  will  be  given : 

"  It  will  live  in  history  how  untiringly  he  has  la- 
boured for  the  German  fleet.  The  Kaiser  first  recog- 
nized the  dawn  of  JVeltpolitik,  and  drew  the  right 
conclusions  for  Germany.  Innumerable  are  the 
speeches  In  which  he  has  brought  to  the  minds  of 
his  people:  the  growth  of  our  nation,  greater  Ger- 
many; our  future  on  the  water,  and  the  necessity 
of  a  great  fleet.  His  labours  have  not  been  In 
vain."  « 

"  After  the  Empire  had  been  founded,  It  was  the 
present  Kaiser  who,  with  systematic  endeavours  and 
incessant  energy,  led  the  policy  of  the  German  Em- 
pire into  new  and  splendid  paths."  "^ 

8  "Yearbook  of  Germany's  Maritime  Interests,"  by  Nauticus, 
p.  134.     Berlin,  1902. 

^"Politik  und  Seekrieg "  ("Politics  and  Naval  Warfare"),  by 
Rudolf  von  Labr^s,  p.  32. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  283 

In  19 13  the  German  Emperor  completed  the 
twenty-fifth  year  of  his  reign.  To  celebrate  the 
event  an  imposing  work  ^  was  published  as  a  record 
of  the  Kaiser's  work  in  building  up  the  fleet.  The 
authors  are  G.  Wislicenus,  a  high  official  in  the  Ad- 
miralty, and  Professor  Stower,  who  supplied  the  in- 
troduction and  illustrations.  Stower  is  a  marine 
painter,  a  close  friend  of  the  Kaiser's,  whom  he  has 
accompanied  on  his  annual  journeys  since  1904. 
Many  of  his  paintings  are  in  the  Emperor's  posses- 
sion, and  many  are  owned  by  the  Admiralty.  In  his 
introduction  he  writes :  "  Looking  far  ahead,  he 
created  in  this  period  the  mighty,  aspiring,  respect- 
compelling  German  fleet,  as  his  very  own  {ureigen) 
immortal  work,  and  every  German  must  thank  the 
Kaiser  that  he  has  made  the  Fatherland  a  great  naval 
power." 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  the  innermost 
thoughts  of  Germany's  other  reigning  princes  on  the 
position  which  the  German  Emperor  occupies  in  the 
Empire.  He  has  taken  unto  himself  the  right  to 
speak  for  all  Germans,  and  in  his  imperial  orations 
there  is  never  any  mention  of  his  royal  peers.  In 
genuine  German  fashion  it  has  been  the  Kaiser's  aim 
to  oust  all  other  princes  from  the  German  political 
stage. 

Before  the  war  he  was  not  popular  in  either  Ba- 

8  "Kaiser  Wilhelm  und  die  Marine,"  1913,  by  Stower  and  Wis- 
licenus. 


284  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

varia,  Wurttemburg  or  Saxony.  The  subjects  of 
the  various  monarchs  of  these  States  wondered 
where  their  kings  came  in,  when  the  Kaiser  vocif- 
erated his  claims  to  special  appointment  by  God. 
More  than  once  the  writer  has  heard  Germans  in 
the  three  kingdoms  named,  fluently  and  forcibly  con- 
demn the  Kaiser's  assumption  that  he  is  the  only  mon- 
arch in  Germany  who  has  the  right  to  speak  for  Ger- 
many. But  it  was  noticeable  that  they  never  spoke 
against  the  German  Empire.  All  the  States  com- 
prising the  Empire  hold  together  as  a  matter  of 
self-interest. 

The  average  Prussian's  attitude  to  the  other  part- 
ners in  the  Confederation  is  one  of  tolerance  and 
condescension.  His  head  Is  so  full  of  unser  Kaiser 
that  he  is  mildly  surprised  when  the  King  of  Bavaria 
Is  mentioned.  From  his  lofty  eminence  he  looks 
down  upon  der  dumme  Bayer  (the  stupid  Bavarian)  ; 
even  a  Prussian  workman  considers  a  Bavarian  peas- 
ant or  factory-hand  a  being  essentially  Inferior  to 
himself,  and  all  the  "  brotherhood  "  doctrines  of  So- 
cial Democracy  have  failed  to  remove  these  mutual 
prejudices.  It  would,  however,  be  an  error  to  at- 
tach any  political  importance  to  them ;  they  are  local 
hatreds.  But  the  Kaiser  has  aroused  gall  and  bitter- 
ness on  more  than  one  occasion  by  his  Interferences 
in  purely  Bavarian  affairs. 

In  1902  the  Bavarian  Diet  refused  a  vote  for  art 
purposes,  whereon  the  Kaiser  expressed  himself  as 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  285 

follows  In  a  telegram  to  the  Prince  Regent:  "I 
have  just  returned  from  my  journey,  and  read  with 
the  greatest  Indignation  that  the  vote  for  purposes 
of  art  has  been  thrown  out.  I  hasten  to  give  ex- 
pression to  my  anger  at  the  Impudent  thanklessness 
which  this  action  shows  both  to  the  House  of  Wit- 
telsbach  and  to  your  sublime  person.  You  have  al- 
ways shone  In  an  exemplary  manner  In  all  things  con- 
cerning the  promotion  of  art.  At  the  same  time  I 
beg  to  offer  the  necessary  sum  out  of  my  privy  purse. 

WiLHELM." 

A  rich  Bavarian  nobleman  paid  the  required  sum 
and  the  Kaiser's  offer  was  politely  declined  —  to  the 
joy  of  South  Germany.  But  the  fact  remains  that 
for  Imperial  purposes  all  other  kings  and  princes  In 
the  German  Empire,  are  merely  appendages  of  Prus- 
sia. 

In  Treltschke's  obituary  notice  written  by  Paul 
Ballleu,  Keeper  of  the  State  Archives,  In  the  German 
Review^  this  paragraph  occurs:  "It  was  Hegel 
who  solved  the  problem  of  the  centuries  and  de- 
stroyed the  antithesis  between  freedom  and  necessity 
in  the  State,  In  that  he  taught:  the  will  which  obeys 
the  law  only  obeys  itself,  and  that  the  law  Is  nothing 
other  than  freedom  determining  itself." 

Fichte  expressed  a  similar  thought,  which  Treit- 
schke  quotes  to  support  his  theory  of  State-craft:  ^^ 

»"  Deutsche    Rundschau,"    October,    1896. 
10  "Die    Politik,"    I.,    p.    32. 


286  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

"  The  Individual  sees  In  his  Fatherland  the  realiza- 
tion of  his  earthly  Immortality." 

When  treating  of  Treltschke's  State  the  writer 
pointed  out  that  the  actual  German  State  consists 
of  a  coterie  of  individuals  including  the  Kaiser.  It 
is  even  permissible  to  consider  the  Kaiser  as  the 
State.  From  this  point  of  view  according  to  Hegel 
he  is  the  sum-total  of  modern  Germany.  In  any 
case  he  reflects  and  reproduces  in  himself  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  whole  nation. 

There  is  nothing  typical  In  an  average  German 
which  we  do  not  find  projected  on  a  larger  scale  in 
the  Kaiser  —  except  perhaps  the  moustache.  But  he 
represents  in  a  remarkable  degree  German  vanity  and 
love  of  self-glorification.  He  is  a  past-master  in  the 
art  of  making  people  believe  what  he  wishes  them  to 
believe,  and  is  a  slave  to  the  exteriors  just  as  his 
subjects.  He  dispenses  blandishments,  honeyed 
words,  compliments  and  flattery,  but  always  with  an 
arriere  pensee.  Kaiser  friendship  Is  synonymous 
with  expediency  and  insincerity.  He  has  shouted  the 
medieval  nonsense  concerning  divine  right  till  he  is 
probably  a  victim  of  self-deception ;  and  the  bombas- 
tic arrogance  of  his  pronouncements  on  Germany 
show  him  to  be  an  adherent  of  Treitschke's  doctrine, 
that  the  State  must  have  a  sufiiciency  of  self-conceit. 

The  Kaiser's  reign  has  been  marked  by  tremendous 
material  prosperity,  and  he  is  credited  with  being  its 
good  genius.     The  fruits  of  German  prosperity  he 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  287 

has  consistently  invested  in  armaments,  and  pursuing 
that  path,  he  has  thwarted  every  attempt,  both  within 
and  without  his  territories,  to  bring  about  a  higher 
and  nobler  mode  of  settlement  for  international  con- 
flicts than  an  appeal  to  the  sword. 

From  the  earliest  years  of  his  reign  he  has  been 
possessed  with  the  mania  to  increase  his  one  talent 
by  several  more,  which  was  no  doubt  the  prime  mo- 
tive for  his  ever-Increasing  armaments.  He  pro- 
voked the  present  war,  and  has  played  the  role  of 
Pecksniff  ever  since  by  deploring  the  attack  of 
"  brutes  and  barbarians  on  German  KulturJ*  If  he 
had  desired  peace  his  course  of  government  would 
have  been  quite  other  than  it  has  been,  and  if  he  had 
been  ruthlessly  attacked  by  the  Triple  Entente,  there 
was  even  then  no  justification  for  the  subjugation 
and  devastation  of  Belgium. 

When  history  delivers  her  judgment  on  this  last 
crime,  the  writer  believes  that  her  verdict  will  show 
that  Belgian  cities  were  not  destroyed  from  motives 
of  brutahty  alone,  but  as  a  matter  of  policy,  so  that 
German  cities  and  Kultur  should  spring  up  in  their 
places. 

There  are  still  Individuals  In  this  country  who  be- 
lieve the  Kaiser  to  be  an  "  English  gentleman  "  in 
character,  who  is  the  victim  of  a  brutal  military  party. 
Unfortunately  the  writer  does  not  share  that  opinion ; 
on  the  other  hand,  he  Is  compelled  to  regard  the 
German  Emperor  as  the  incarnation  of  German  na- 


288  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

tional  duplicity;  the  sum-total  of  Germanic  brutal 
self-assertion,  self-love  and  indifference  to  others,  to- 
gether with  the  many  other  superficial  qualities  which 
help  to  make  the  Intellectual  veneer  known  to  the 
world  as  German  character. 


CHAPTER  XV 

NAVAL    CRESCENDO 

IN  maritime  affairs  Germany  probably  has  justi- 
fied grievances  against  this  country;  they  lie  back 
so  far,  however,  that  they  cannot  be  counted  among 
the  causes  which  have  led  up  to  the  present  war. 
During  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries,  German 
merchants  from  the  ancient  Hanse  cities  had  a  great 
part  of  English  inland  trade  and  overseas  commerce 
in  their  hands.  English  kings  granted  them  rights 
and  privileges  enabling  them  to  establish  a  depot  in 
London  —  the  old  Steelyard  —  from  which  they 
journeyed  throughout  the  length  and  breath  of  the 
land. 

In  those  days  their  agents  travelled  to  all  English 
fairs  and  markets.  Queen  Ehzabeth  dealt  their 
flourishing  undertakings  a  mortal  blow  by  suppressing 
these  privileges,  and  Oliver  CromwelPs  "  Naviga- 
tion Act  "  completed  the  ruin  of  their  English  trade. 

A  grievance  against  England  which  is  often  men- 
tioned by  German  naval  writers  is  an  incident  which 
occurred  in  1848.  It  would  seem  that  Lord  Pal- 
merston  ordered  any  ships  bearing  the  German  im- 
perial flag    (black  —  white  —  red)    to  be  sunk  as 

289 


290  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

pirates.  The  writer  has  not  yet  discovered  any  ac- 
count of  this  in  English  sources,  and  can  give  no  au- 
thentic reason  for  Lord  Palmerston's  action.  He 
presumes,  however,  that  the  English  Prime  Minister 
refused  to  recognize  the  flag  of  a  non-existent  coun- 
try. If  any  abuses  had  been  committed  under  the  im- 
perial German  banner,  it  is  difficult  to  see  which  gov- 
ernment could  have  been  called  to  account  for  them. 

When  the  various  German  States  united  in  1871  to 
found  th^  German  Empire,  then  the  seas  were  free 
to  ships  bearing  the  flag  of  that  Empire.  It  is  com- 
prehensible that  Germans  who  desired  to  attain  na- 
tional unity  would  have  liked  to  see  the  symbol  of 
their  union  waving  on  German  ships,  but  previous  to 
1 87 1  It  would  have  been  an  anachronism  and  an  inter- 
national absurdity.  It  is  Interesting  to  note  that  this 
insignificant  event  has  been  exploited  to  illustrate 
British  bullying.  Otherwise  the  agitators  have  been 
compelled  to  draw  imaginary  pictures  of  British  envy 
and  hate  in  order  to  make  out  their  case. 

It  was  not  till  the  nineteenth  century,  when  some 
degree  of  Internal  stability  had  been  obtained  In  the 
various  German  States,  that  Teutonic  ambitions  were 
again  aroused  and  Teutonic  eyes  turned  seaward. 
These  aspirations  in  themselves  are  perfectly  legiti- 
mate so  long  as  they  aim  at  Germany's  necessary 
defence,  and  are  Intended  to  be  a  means  for  further- 
ing her  well-being  and  developing  her  peculiar  In- 
terests, without  prejudice  to  the  established  rights  of 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  291 

her  neighbours.  We  shall  see,  however,  that  this 
equitable  ideal  has  given  place  to  intolerant,  incon- 
siderate plans  of  self-aggrandizement.  The  free 
atmosphere  of  the  waves,  instead  of  bringing 
strength,  courage  and  respect  for  others,  including 
their  rights  and  aims,  has  only  fanned  the  devouring 
fires  of  ambition  for  world  power. 

In  1 841  a  festival  poem  was  published  to  celebrate 
the  annual  congress  of  the  Hanseatic  League  (Hansa- 
hund) . 

During  the  intervening  seventy-four  years  German 
writers  have  advanced  hardly  any  sentiment  in  sup- 
port of  their  advocacy  of  a  great  German  fleet  which 
is  not  expressed  by  the  anonymous  poetaster  of  1841. 
The  title  of  the  poem  is  "  The  German  Fleet;  an  Ad- 
monition to  the  German  People,"  and  its  author  as- 
serts that  Germany  is  to  rule  the  world.  In  fourteen 
seven-line  verses  he  appeals  to  the  nation  to  grasp 
the  trident  and  with  it  the  rudder  of  the  world^s 
history.  When  German  unity  has  been  attained  and 
one  Kaiser  rules  over  all  the  German  peoples  then 
Germany  shall  dominate  the  world.  England's  ship 
is  rotten,  and  too  long  she  has  weighed  up  the  desti- 
nies of  Europe  in  her  *'  pedlar's  balance."  Germany 
is  the  Shepherd  of  the  nations  and  shall  be  the  Regen- 
erator of  the  world.  One  passage  suggests  Kaiser 
Wilhelm's  famous  saying.     It  runs: 

"  And  in  the  furrows  which  Columbus  made 
Germany's  future  will  be  found." 


292  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

At  this  date  it  is  impossible  to  determine  the 
amount  of  influence  which  the  poet  exercised  upon  his 
contemporaries.  Seven  years  later  a  booklet  ap- 
peared with  proposals  of  a  much  more  practical 
nature.     It  bears  the  following  title : 

"  Memorandum  concerning  the  building  of 

a  German  fleet/^ 

Submitted   to   the    Marine    Congress    in   Hamburg 

by  the  Kiel  Committee.     May,  1848. 

Modern  Germany's  fleet  dates  its  rise  from  that 
year.  In  the  author's  introduction  they  state  their 
purpose  in  these  words : 

"  ( I )  To  prove  that  it  Is  necessary  for  Germany's 
future  as  well  as  her  present,  that  a  German  fleet 
should  spring  up  around  Germany's  coasts,  whether 
the  profit  gained  Is  equivalent  to  the  cost  and  efforts 
or  not. 

"  (2)  To  lay  down  the  principles  which  we  have 
to  follow  in  founding  a  fleet. 

"  (3)  To  propose  a  general  plan  and  work  out 
the  details  of  the  same." 

It  would  be  superfluous  to  enter  into  the  details 
of  the  modest  proposals  made  by  the  Kiel  Commit- 
tee, except  to  mention  that  the  raison  d^etre  most 
emphasized  Is  the  necessity  for  coast  protection  as 
well  as  a  weapon  for  attack.  "  The  Danish  victories 
were  obtained  only  because  we  had  no  sufficient  forces 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  ^93 

on  the  water,"  is  the  reference  made  to  the  Schleswig- 
Holstein  question. 

Another  striking  point  is  the  plea  for  a  German 
fleet,  maintained  at  the  cost  of  all  the  German  States, 
as  a  symbol  of  their  national  unity.  Their  land 
armies  cannot  be  welded  into  a  homogeneous  whole, 
because  of  the  existing  political  frontiers,  but  on  the 
waves  German  ships  could  and  should  fly  one  common 
flag  showing  that  Germans  are  one  at  heart.  Hence 
Lord  Palmerston's  interference ! 

In  Prussia  both  privately  and  officially  the  agita- 
tion prospered.  Moneys  from  both  of  these  sources 
made  a  beginning  possible,  but  the  small  fleet  of 
frigates,  etc.,  which  came  into  being  was  essentially 
Prussian.  In  the  meantime  a  society  had  been 
founded  whose  propaganda  was  directed  towards  the 
attainment  of  German  unity. 

This  society  {der  Nationalverein)  saw  Itself  com- 
pelled In  1 86 1  to  protest  against  the  Prusslanizatlon 
of  the  young  fleet.  A  work  ^  appeared  during  that 
year  declaring  the  fleet  to  be  a  Prussian  dream  and  a 
German  necessity.  The  Immediate  cause  of  this  pro- 
test was  the  circulation  of  subscription  lists  by  Prussia 
In  the  various  States  to  obtain  funds  to  enlarge  the 
fleet. 

The  author.  In  the  name  of  the  National  Society, 
condemned  this   mode   of   obtaining  the   necessary 

1 "  Die  deutsche  Flotte,  ein  Traum  Preussens  und  eine  Forderung 
Deutschlands."    Leipzig,   i86i. 


294  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

money,  which  would  only  serve  Prussian  aggrandize- 
ment; he  reiterated  the  reasons  proving  Germany's 
need  of  warships,  pleaded  for  universal  State,  in 
preference  to  private  financial  aid,  and  insisted  upon 
the  movement  becoming  a  national  German  under- 
taking. 

Until  after  the  Franco-German  War  little  of  im- 
portance happened;  in  the  eighties  an  agitation  be- 
gan which  gave  Treitschke  an  opportunity,  to  pour 
out  the  vials  of  his  hatred  for  this  country. 

The  Reichstag  granted  some  insignificant  sums, 
but  the  movement  hung  fire  till  the  present  Emperor 
ascended  the  throne  in  1888.  His  connection  with 
the  German  fleet  has  been  dealt  with  at  considerable 
length  in  the  preceding  chapter.  Therefore  we  may 
proceed  to  the  year  1891,  when  another  anonymous 
work  appeared  ^  entitled  "  Our  Navy  in  the  Eleventh 
Hour.'' 

The  author  of  that  work  gives  an  interesting  ac- 
count of  Germany's  maritime  interests,  a  history  of 
the  fleet  up  to  that  year,  and  a  detailed  description 
of  the  sailor's  life.  In  conclusion  he  adds  that  his 
purpose  has  been  "  to  call  attention  to  the  navy,  to 
make  his  readers  acquainted  with  sea  life,  the  de- 
velopment and  progress  of  our  navy  up  to  the  present 
day,  to  describe  its  organization  and  naval  warfare, 
and  lastly  to  arouse  the  nation's  true  and  serious  in- 
terest in  the  fleet." 

2"Unsere   Marine  in   der   Elftcn   Stunde,"  1891. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  295 

The  writer  of  the  work  fulfilled  his  task  efficiently, 
and  relates  in  his  pages  a  story  of  Frederick  the 
Great  which  is  worthy  of  repetition.  Frederick's 
ambassador  In  London  found  himself  unable  to  rep- 
resent his  royal  master  in  a  style  corresponding  to  his 
greatness.  He  made  a  personal  appeal  to  the  Prus- 
sian king,  complaining  that  the  English  aristocracy 
made  fun  of  his  shabby  coat,  and  enforced  the  lesson 
that  more  splendour  was  necessary  as  a  background 
for  his  diplomatic  duties  in  the  English  capital.  The 
Embassy  funds  did  not  allow  him  to  keep  a  carriage. 
"  Well,  walk,  then,"  answered  His  Majesty,  "  and  if 
anybody  makes  fun  of  you,  tell  them  there  are  two 
hundred  thousand  Prussian  soldiers  behind  you." 
"  Yes,"  replied  the  Ambassador,  "  that  hint  would  do 
very  well  in  Paris;  but  seeing  that  England  Is  an 
island,  I  must  be  able  to  add  that  the  two  hundred 
thousand  can  swim!  " 

In  order  not  to  lose  sight  of  any  factor  In  the 
growth  of  the  German  fleet  it  is  necessary  to  return 
to  the  previous  year  (1890),  for  that  year  was 
marked  by  an  event  which  made  Germany's  naval 
expansion  possible,  viz.,  the  acquisition  of  Heligo- 
land. Germans  had  cast  their  eyes  longingly  upon 
this  now  famous  island  for  many  years  before. 
Treitschke  had  written  of  It  in  1875,  and  Kaiser 
Wilhelm  Is  credited  by  authoritative  German  writers 
with  having  had  the  fixed  determination  to  gain  pos- 
session whatever  the  cost  might  be. 


296  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

During  the  writer's  earlier  years  (i  902-1 907)  in 
the  Fatherland  he  heard  many  bitter  denunciations 
of  England's  greed  in  obtaining  a  huge  slice  of  Africa 
in  exchange  for  a  "  useless  "  rocky  islet.  In  recent 
years,  as  the  little  island  has  been  transformed  into 
an  impregnable  ( ?)  fortress,  German  opinion  has 
changed  in  proportion  as  the  Kaiser's  astuteness  has 
dawned  upon  their  massive  intellects. 

The  completion  of  the  deal  (which  met  with  con- 
siderable hostihty  in  the  House  of  Commons)  is 
now  ascribed  to  English  stupidity  and  lack  of  fore- 
sight in  regard  to  the  military  and  naval  possibilities 
of  Heligoland. 

The  writer  has  often  pointed  out  to  German  ac- 
quaintances that  the  cession  of  the  island  was  one  of 
the  many  proofs  of  good  will  which  the  English  Gov- 
ernment has  shown  towards  Germany,  indeed  striking 
evidence  that  England  had  no  desire  to  occupy  land 
from  which  she  could  bully  Germany  and  dominate 
German  maritime  interests.  In  short,  a  practical 
proof  that  England  had  no  objection  to  Germany's 
just  naval  expansion.  Needless  to  add,  such  argu- 
ments were  laughed  to  scorn ;  England  never  has  been 
and  never  will  be  magnanimous. 

The  writer  has  had  no  opportunity  to  examine  the 
inner  motives  of  EngHsh  Statesmen  in  the  year  1890, 
but  as  he  has  observed  many  similar  attempts  made 
by  EngHsh  ministers  from  1900  till  19 14,  and  heard 
them  decried  in  Germany  as  *'  English  cunning," 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  ^97 

he  prefers  to  believe  that  Lord  Salisbury  knew  that 
he  was  entrusting  a  possible  weapon  against  England, 
when  he  ceded  Heligoland  to  the  German  Empire. 
Whatever  his  motives  were,  the  simple  fact  remains 
that  the  weapon  has  been  pointed  at  England's  breast 
alone  —  a  procedure  which  the  writer  is  forced  to 
describe  as  peculiarly  German. 

Furthermore,  there  is  another  German  character- 
istic betrayed  in  the  Heligoland  incident :  it  has  been 
employed  to  arouse  and  feed  the  flames  of  hatred  in 
Teutonic  hearts  against  this  country. 

While  the  German  Government  fortified  the  island 
for  aggression  against  England,  Statesmen  and  publi- 
cists pointed  to  Heligoland  as  an  example  of  Britain's 
brutal  greed. 

It  is  interesting  to  hear  the  opinion  of  a  writer 
whose  name  is  mentioned  almost  daily  in  the  English 
Press.^  In  this  survey  of  Germany's  foreign  policy 
between  1888  and  19 13,  Count  Reventlow  writes  on 
page  42  of  his  work :  *'  Salisbury  had  not  the  genius 
to  recognize  the  future  value  of  Heligoland."  Dis- 
cussing Lord  Salisbury's  reasons  for  his  policy,  the 
Count  continues :  "  From  the  military  point  of  view 
we  can  only  shake  our  heads  at  the  naivete  of  his 
declaration.  We  are  amazed  that  the  British  Ad- 
miralty had  not  thought  out  the  various  conceivable 
military  and  political  possibilities.     But  the  essential 

3  "  Deutschland's  Auswartige  Politik,   1888-1913,"  by  Count  Re- 
ventlow.   Published  in  the  spring  of  19 14. 


298  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

point  is  that  they  had  not  imagined  that  a  real,  re- 
spect-inspiring German  naval  power,  a  high-seas  fleet, 
could  come  into  being  within  a  measurable  space  of 
time.  What  we  know  to-day,  but  which  nobody  had 
thought  of  then,  except,  perhaps,  the  German  Em- 
peror, is  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  Ger- 
many to  possess  Heligoland  if  she  ever  hoped  to  be- 
come a  naval  power.  But  at  that  time  a  strong  high- 
seas  fleet  was  an  idea  cherished  only  by  the  Kaiser 
and  a  few  naval  ofiicers.  Further,  we  must  not  for- 
get that  no  time  was  to  be  lost  if  Germany  wanted 
Heligoland. 

"No  British  government  would  have  sold  the 
island  for  any  price  whatsoever,  after  it  became  ob- 
vious that  the  Kaiser's  plans  for  a  mighty  German 
fleet  were  going  to  be  energetically  pursued  to  their 
logical  conclusion.  In  the  same  moment  that  Eng- 
land knew  of  such  resolves,  the  possibility  of  acquir- 
ing the  island  for  the  German  Empire  would  have 
been  lost  never  to  return  again.  At  the  same  time 
the  future  of  German  sea  power  would  have  been 
nipped  in  the  bud."  ^ 

The  Germans  have  a  proverb  to  meet  such  cases; 
it  runs:  "Die  Schadenfreude  ist  die  reinste 
Freude  "  ("  Malicious  joy  is  the  purest  joy;"  it  could 
also  be  rendered,  "  The  joy  of  destruction  is  the  high- 
est joy").  Since  the  value  of  Heligoland  as  an 
aggressive  weapon  against  England  dawned  on  the 

*  Count  Reventlow's  work,  pp.  49,  51. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  299 

Teutonic  Imagination,  there  has  been  a  great  deal 
of  "  malicious  joy  "  in  the  Fatherland. 

If  Lord  Salisbury  and  the  Admiralty  blundered  in 
1 890,  then  the  blunder  must  now  be  made  good  again, 
just  as  Mr.  Gladstone's  Majuba  and  Khartoum  er- 
rors had  to  be  undone.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  Eng- 
lish fair-dealing  and  magnanimous  treatment  of  a 
possible  rival  have  been  shamelessly  abused,  then  the 
oft-quoted  phrase  is  applicable  to  the  case:  Never 
again ! 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  year  1897  was  an  event- 
ful one  in  the  history  of  the  German  fleet,  but  more 
remains  to  be  mentioned.  The  German  Navy  Bill 
was  completed  in  that  year  and  introduced  to  the 
Reichstag.  Von  Tirpltz  was  at  the  head  of  the  Ad- 
miralty and  a  new  policy  had  begun.  Until  then 
coast  defence  had  been  the  aim  of  Germany's  fleet 
for  nearly  half  a  century;  that  idea  was  abandoned 
and  a  course  adopted  which  led  to  great  possibilities. 
That  year  is  marked,  too,  by  a  rapid  increase  of  naval 
literature,  which  would  to-day  fill  a  large  library. 

In  this  work  the  author  can  only  give  a  glimpse 
of  the  enormous  agitation  which  moved  Germany 
during  the  succeeding  decade.  He  can  only  quote 
here  and  there  from  writers  of  note  and  influence. 
One  of  these  sources  is  "  Das  preussische  Jahrbuch  " 
(Prussian  Year  Book) ,  a  review  of  the  highest  stand- 
ing. For  many  years  It  was  edited  by  Treltschke ;  he 
was  succeeded  by  Professor  Delbriick,  who  has  edited 


300  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

it  up  to  the  present  time.  It  will  be  referred  to  un- 
der the  letters  "  P.  Y.  B." 

We  can  classify  this  mass  of  literature  under  two 
heads,  that  for  educated  readers  and  the  other  for  the 
masses.  The  writer  is  not  in  a  position  to  give  an 
adequate  account  of  the  latter,  because  he  has  none 
at  his  disposition.  But  for  years  past  German  book- 
sellers' windows  have  not  been  free  from  sensational 
works  dealing  with  the  "  inevitable  "  war  with  Eng- 
land. 

One  well-known  book  of  this  type  is  "  Seestern," 
which  gave  a  bloodthirsty  picture  of  a  treacherous 
attack  on  Germany  by  England.  The  writer  has 
read  many  such  books;  they  generally  concluded  by 
Germany  overthrowing  England's  supremacy  on  the 
seas  and  taking  it  unto  herself. 

In  1 9 14  a  similar  work  appeared,  and  it  was  a 
conspicuous  feature  in  the  bookshops  when  war  broke 
out.  The  cover  gave  an  inkling  of  its  tendency.  A 
glaring  picture  depicted  a  naval  battle  between  the 
English  fleet  and  Zeppelins.  English  battleships 
were  going  under  on  all  sides.  A  new  explosive 
dropped  from  the  airships  was  effecting  the  work  of 
destruction.  But  the  airships  were  so  near  that  any 
sailor  could  have  blown  them  up  by  means  of  hand 
bombs!  On  reading  the  book  one  discovered  that 
the  English  had  made  the  long-talked-of  treacherous 
attack  and  destroyed  the  German  fleet,  but  the  air- 
ships enabled  Germany  to  take  revenge  and  blot  out 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  SOI 

the  English  navy.  Crude  conceptions!  yet  they 
found  a  ready  sale  —  as  a  rule  the  German  does  not 
spend  much  money  on  books;  but  a  picture  of  Eng- 
land's downfall  never  failed  to  reach  his  purse. 
This  type  of  book  generally  bore  the  legend  "  writ- 
ten by  a  naval  officer,"  a  statement  which  may  have 
been  true  or  merely  a  mutual  trick  of  the  author  and 
his  publisher  to  Increase  sales.  Such  books  deserve 
no  further  notice  except  that  they  led  the  popular  im- 
agination In  one  direction  —  the  desired  one ! 

It  Is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  Anglophobia  had 
taken  such  deep  root  In  the  German  people,  that  for 
years  they  have  longed  to  cross  swords  with  the 
Colossus  whose  feet  are  of  clay.  The  sources  which 
the  writer  Intends  to  quote  are  more  restrained;  they 
are  all  works  which  command  the  highest  respect  of 
the  German  public.  They  are  not  alarmist  authors, 
but  men  of  responsibility  who  enjoy  reputation  In 
their  native  land. 

As  mentioned  above  the  Navy  Bill  produced  the 
beginnings  of  an  agitation  ^  which  became  a  national 
avalanche.  The  "  P.  Y.  B."  entered  the  fray  de- 
cisively in  vol.  II.  pp.  176  to  188  for  1897.  Delbriick 
told  his  readers  that  England  hated  Germany  and 
that  Germans  would  have  to  reckon  with  English 
envy  for  all  time.     **  No   diplomatic  courtesy,   no 

^  Numerous  pamphlets  appeared,  one  of  which  had  a  large  circu- 
lation: "The  German  Fleet  and  the  German  People,"  by  Dr.  Ras- 
sow,  Gottingen.    Price,  20  pfg.  (zj^d.). 


302  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

political  tactics  will  be  able  to  remove  this  factor." 
In  the  same  volume  he  deals  with  the  difficulties 
raised  by  Bavaria  to  the  new  naval  schemes  and  the 
opposition  of  various  parties  In  the  Reichstag.  At 
that  time  he  was  not  yet  prepared  to  question  Eng- 
land's naval  supremacy,  for  we  find  him  writing  on  p. 
475  :  **  England,  whose  superiority  on  the  waters  Is 
undisputed,  and  as  far  as  we  can  see  will  remain  so, 
we  can  leave  out  of  the  count.  Sea  trade  may  be 
called  the  lung-breathing  of  a  State.  So  long  as  It 
does  not  cease  for  long,  life-giving  blood  will  still 
pulsate  In  the  arteries  of  the  organism.  But  when 
sea  trade  stops  the  functions  soon  cease." 

These  are  Interesting  concessions  In  view  of  Ger- 
many's present  declaration  that  England's  blockade 
can  never  force  Germany  to  her  knees.  At  that 
period  the  statements  were  made  to  frighten  Michael 
into  paying  for  a  fleet,  while  the  latest  claims  are  in- 
tended to  keep  up  his  courage. 

Another  argument  adduced  in  the  same  article  is: 
"  We  must  have  colonies,  but  we  can  only  obtain 
possession  of  them  with  a  strong  German  fleet,  for 
we  shall  meet  with  obstinate  resistance  on  all  sides. 
We  shall  be  threatened,  as  we  were  at  the  time  of 
the  Transvaal  telegram,  by  the  mobilization  of  flying 
squadrons.  Yet  at  the  same  time  it  Is  necessary  to 
have  a  fleet  equal  to  that  of  England.  To  those  who 
are  afraid  of  the  apparition  Weltpolitik  (world  pol- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  303 

Icy)  inaugurated  by  the  Navy  Bill,  we  may  say  that  it 
will  only  enable  us  to  protect  our  own  skins." 

Caprivi  was  Chancellor,  and  he  succeeded  in  get- 
ting the  Naval  Bill  through  the  Reichstag  in  March, 
1898.  But  in  order  to  attain  his  end,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  win  over  the  Poles;  certain  concessions  were 
made  to  them,  and  they  voted  for  the  Bill,  and  thus 
It  became  law.  "  That  great  work  has  not  been 
created  by  a  wave  of  national  enthusiasm,  but  by 
clever  parliamentary  diplomacy."     "  P.  Y.  B." 

Caprivi  was  soon  replaced  by  Prince  Hohenlohe. 
Germany  had  definitely  entered  upon  a  career  of 
world  policy  and  stepped  on  to  the  "  inclined  plane  " 
(schiefe  Ebene)  of  naval  expansion.  Within  two 
years  the  trumpets  sounded  again,  calling  for  more 
ships  and  still  more  ships. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

"  FULL   STEAM  AHEAD !  "  ^ 

MENTION  has  already  been  made  of  the  diffi- 
culties with  which  the  German  naval  expan- 
sion party  had  to  contend  through  popular  ignorance 
of  all  things  maritime.  The  society  which  has  done 
most  to  enlighten  Germans,  sow  seeds  of  hatred  for 
England,  and  bring  about  German  schemes  for  a 
great  fleet,  is  the  Flottenverein  (Navy  League) .  It 
was  founded  in  1898  by  forty-four  persons.  The 
minimum  subscription  was  fixed  at  sixpence.  At  the 
end  of  the  first  year  there  were  1 14,345  members,  and 
in  1 9 14  well  over  three  millions.  Prince  Henry  of 
Prussia  (the  Kaiser's  brother)  accepted  the  Presi- 
dency. 

The  objects  of  the  society  were  to  educate  the  na- 
tion in  the  naval  question  and  to  arouse  the  people's 
interest  in  Germany's  young  fleet.  The  organization 
consists  of  local  lodges  {Ortsgruppen)  linked  up  in 
districts,  which  in  their  turn  are  affiliated  to  pro- 
vincial and  then  to  the  supreme  lodge  for  the  coun- 
try in  question,  i.e.,  Bavaria,  Prussia,  etc.  A  special 
badge  was  designed  for  members,  and  received  the 
Kaiser's  sanction. 

1  Foil  Dampf  voraus!  —  one  of  the  mottoes  which  the  Kaiser  has 
coined  to  spur  on  the  navy  agitation  in  Germany. 

304 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  305 

The  propaganda  has  been  universal;  branch  so- 
cieties have  been  founded  in  Valparaiso  and  London. 
In  the  Fatherland  no  channel  by  which  public  opinion 
could  be  influenced  has  been  overlooked. 

The  Flattenverein  has  published  numerous  works 
on  the  German  navy,  including  handbooks  for  those 
seeking  a  career  in  the  fighting  or  the  maritime  navy. 
The  society  has  scattered  pamphlets  and  pictures 

H  broadcast  throughout  the  land.  Its  charts  hang  on 
school  walls  and  In  other  public  institutions.     Every 

:.        year  the  local  lodges  send  printed  circulars  to  all  resi- 

iv      dents,  inviting  them  to  subscribe  or  become  members. 

P  Automatic  machines  on  the  railway  stations  sell  patri- 
otic naval  postcards  showing  pictures  of  battleships 
and  bearing  the  motto,  "  Our  Future  is  on  the 
Water.'^ 

Lectures  have  been  held  In  schools,  universities, 
villages  and  towns  by  a  large  staff  of  lecturers,  Includ- 
ing many  naval  officers. 

The  writer  has  often  attended  lectures  held  for 
the  general  public,  and  heard  the  most  bitter,  fiery 
denunciations  of  this  country  —  especially  after  the 
Morocco  crisis  and  during  the  Balkan  War.  There 
was  no  suggestion  of  compromise  with  England,  but 
the  people  were  told,  "  We  Germans  must  keep  on 
building  ships  till  we  can  talk  to  England  In  our 
way!"  That  sentence  expresses  exactly  what  the 
majority  of  the  German  nation  has  most  ardently 
longed  for  during  the  last  decade. 


306  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

The  Flottenveretn  publishes  an  illustrated 
monthly,  Die  Flotte  ("  The  Fleet  ") ,  an  organ  which 
serves  the  purposes  of  the  two  affiliated  navy  leagues, 
the  parent  society  and  the  Flottenverein  im  Ausland 
(Navy  League  Abroad). 

Another  part  of  the  educational  work  is  the  ar- 
rangement of  numerous  trips  every  year  for  teachers, 
school  children  and  adults  to  inspect  battleships, 
coast  towns,  dockyards,  Heligoland,  etc.  These  ex- 
cursions run  from  the  innermost  parts  of  the  land 
and  are  exceedingly  popular. 

But  the  great  events  in  the  history  of  the  Flotten- 
verein have  been  the  successive  naval  bills  introduced 
in  the  Reichstag. 

For  months  previous  to  the  parliamentary  debates 
there  has  been  great  activity  in  preparing  the  public 
mind,  and  the  propaganda  has  only  died  down  when 
each  new  programme  has  passed  safely  through  the 
Imperial  parliament.  One  German,  at  least,  per- 
ceived the  danger  of  this  agitation  and  protested 
against  It  (Pfarrer  Umfrid,  Stuttgart,  in  his  "  Antl- 
Treltschke"). 

The  Flottenverein  has  done  more  than  any  other 
agency  to  poison  German  opinion  against  England, 
to  prevent  a  working  arrangement  between  the  two 
countries  on  the  fleet  question  coming  Into  existence, 
and  In  cultivating  the  hope  that  Germany  was 
destined  to  rule  the  waves.  If  a  similar  agitation 
had  gone  on  in  France  to  make  the  French  army 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  307 

equal  to  that  of  Germany,  the  latter  would  have 
made  it  a  casus  belli  and  commenced  a  so-called 
"  preventive  "  war.  But  Germans  were  well  aware 
that  they  had  to  do  with  long-suffering  England. 

Many  a  German  has  frankly  admitted  to  the 
writer,  that  if  Germany  had  possessed  a  naval  su- 
premacy and  the  naval  question  were  a  matter  of 
existence  to  her  as  it  is  to  England,  then  if  England 
had  striven  as  Germany  has  done  to  bring  about 
either  equality  or  superiority,  she  (England)  would 
have  been  immediately  smashed  by  a  "  preventive  " 
war.  Prevention  is  better  than  cure.  This  defines 
Germany's  attitude  exactly,  and  yet  a  section  of  the 
British  public  was  quite  prepared  to  see  Germany 
build  as  many  ships  as  she  liked. 

In  her  internal  policy  Germany  is  reactionary,  her 
foreign  policy  is  a  combination  of  Anarchism,  Nihi- 
lism and  Social  Democracy.  She  recognizes  no 
"  vested  interests  "  when  she  possesses  the  power  to 
seize  them  for  herself.  The  Englishman  abhors  the 
idea  of  bullying,  and  hates  even  falsely  to  be  consid- 
ered a  bully.  Germany  is  quite  aware  of  this  weak- 
ness, and  has  played  cunningly  upon  this  side  of 
English  character  to  gain  concessions  at  the  Hague 
and  in  the  Treaty  of  London,  but  it  would  be  hope- 
less to  seek  any  sign  of  weakening  on  Germany's  side 
since  she  began  her  naval  expansion  schemes. 

On  October  loth,  1899,  ^^e  Kaiser  told  his  people 
in  a  speech  delivered  in  Hamburg:     *'  Bitter  Not  ist 


308  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

uns  eine  starke  deutsche  Flotte ''  ('*A  powerful 
German  fleet  is  a  bitter  necessity  ").  This  was  one 
of  the  opening  episodes  of  a  great  campaign  pre- 
paratory to  the  Navy  Bill  of  1900.  The  cry  was 
taken  up  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  land.  University  professors,  authors,  officers. 
Statesmen,  artists,  everybody  of  any  importance,  was 
engaged,  on  the  platform  and  in  the  press,  in  the 
great  fight  to  convert  the  people.  Under  Hohen- 
lohe  ( 1 898-1900)  a  certain  amount  of  national  en- 
thusiasm had  been  aroused,  but  the  Junkers  had  to 
be  won  over.  One  of  the  Agrarier  leaders.  Dr. 
Hahn,  is  reported  to  have  said:  "  Die  grassliche 
Flotte  wieder!"      ("This  wretched  fleet  again.") 

After  the  Spanish-American  War,  the  Chancellor, 
Prince  Hohenlohe,  said:  **  We  must  not  run  the 
danger  of  suffering  the  same  fate  at  the  hands  of 
England  which  Spain  has  met  with  from  the  United 
States." 

Special  efforts  were  made  to  convert  the  Social 
Democrats,  and  Professor  Delbriick  reports  in  the 
"  P.  Y.  B."  that  one  of  the  remarkable  incidents  in 
the  campaign  was  the  arrangement  of  mass  meetings 
for  the  working  classes.  Leaders  of  the  revolution- 
ary party  debated  in  public  with  expert  opponents  on 
the  new  naval  programme.  Nineteen  mass  meet- 
ings were  held  in  Berlin  alone,  at  one  of  which 
Delbriick  debated  the  question  with  the  Social  Demo- 
cratic leader,   Herr  Singer.     The  support  of  the 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  309 

party  was  gained,  and  Delbriick  writes  in  the 
''P.  Y.  B."  for  1900:  "I  know  for  certain  that 
great  enthusiasm  for  the  fleet  prevails  even  among 
the  Social  Democrats.*' 

The  Reichstag  passed  the  1900  proposals  by  201 
to  103  votes,  whereby  Germany's  total  of  battleships 
was  doubled  and  other  increases  made  In  propor- 
tion. 

It  cannot  be  too  strongly  emphasized  that  Ger- 
many never  wanted  friendship  with  this  country,  and 
every  effort  towards  an  entente  made  by  England  has 
been  met  with  undisguised  contempt  or  rankling 
suspicion. 

One  of  the  earliest  offers  was  made  by  the  late 
Mr.  Joseph  Chamberlain  in  a  speech  delivered  at 
Leicester,  November  30th,  1899.  Count  Revent- 
low,  on  p.  145  of  his  book  on  German  foreign  policy, 
writes:  "  Chamberlain's  proposal  of  an  unwritten 
alliance  between  England,  Germany  and  America  to 
guarantee  the  peace  of  the  world  aroused  Interest 
but  met  with  a  cool  reception  In  Germany,  and  the 
country  was  unanimous  in  rejecting  such  an  offer. 
Chamberlain  was  suspected  of  hypocrisy."  Writing 
In  the  "  P.  Y.  B."  1900,  p.  188,  Professor  Delbriick 
records  the  fact  that  Germans  look  upon  England 
as  a  colossus  with  feet  of  clay,  and  gloats  that  the 
English  "  are  stretching  out  their  arms  to  us.  As 
to  Chamberlain's  proposed  alliance,  public  opinion 
would  refuse  any  such  thing."     Delbriick  goes  on 


310  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

to  discuss  the  approaching  disruption  of  the  British 
Empire  and  adds ;  "  It  would  be  a  misfortune  If  the 
British  Empire  were  broken  up  now,  because  the 
German  fleet  Is  not  yet  strong  enough  to  enable  us 
to  say  our  say." 

Chamberlain  seems  to  have  been  cured  very  soon 
of  his  folly  In  offering  friendship  to  a  country  which 
consistently  spurned  any  such  proposals,  for  In  a 
later  speech  he  advised  England  *'  to  use  a  long 
spoon  when  dining  with  the  devil."  It  Is  a  cause  for 
deep  regret  that  his  country  did  not  follow  that  ad- 
vice. Chamberlain  went  even  so  far  as  to  defend 
the  British  army  against  the  calumnies  which  Ger- 
many had  manufactured  In  her  editorial  offices,  and 
referred  Germans  to  their  conduct  in  1 870-1. 

Reventlow  admits  (p.  170)  that  for  two  years 
Germans  had  done  nothing  but  abuse  England  and 
pray  for  her  downfall;  yet  "a  storm  of  hate  and 
rage  swept  through  the  country  after  the  Edinburgh 
speech.  When  we  read  the  extensive  literature  of 
those  years,  we  find  on  nearly  every  page  the  thought, 
Indeed  the  hope,  to  be  able  one  day  to  smash  Eng- 
land." Even  the  Imperial  Chancellor  spoke  on  the 
matter  In  the  Reichstag:  "  In  the  whole  German 
nation,  in  all  classes,  and  in  all  parties  of  the  same, 
these  charges  —  which  are  entirely  groundless  — • 
aroused  the  bitterest  indignation."  The  incident 
illustrates  once  more  the  German  attitude,  that  they 
may  slander  and  lie,  yet  If  the  simple  truth  is  spoken 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  811 

about  Germany,  then  Germania  has  a  severe  attack 
of  holy  indignation.^ 

In  any  case,  there  is  ample  proof  that  Germany 
was  contemplating,  even  then,  the  naval  struggle 
which  she  had  determined,  in  her  own  good  time,  to 
provoke  with  this  country;  and  she  was  definitely 
committed  to  the  path  pointed  out  by  the  official 
press:  "In  this  world  only  might  counts.  Only 
power  commands  respect  in  politics,  and  so  it  must 
be  might,  might,  and  still  again  might." —  Fritz 
Hoenig  in  the  Allgemeine  Zeitung. 

Another  instructive  source  for  information  on 
Germany^s  bid  for  world  power  is  "  Das  Jahrbuch 
fiir  Deutschland's  See-Interessen  "  ("Yearbook  of 
Germany's  Maritime  Interests  "),  by  Nauticus,  Ber- 
lin. This  work,  commenced  in  1898,  gives  a  com- 
plete record  of  German  naval  expansion.  The  best 
writers  of  the  day  are  among  its  contributors,  and 
in  view  of  the  large  amount  of  technical  information 
in  it,  it  must  be  accepted  as  an  official  publication. 
It  reflects  the  same  development  as  seen  in  all  the 
literature  on  the  subject;  first  coast  defence,  then  a 
high-seas  fleet,  to  make  any  attacker  afraid,  and 
lastly,  German  world  power. 

It  is  also  interesting  from  an  international  point 
of  view,  because  it  records  the  effect  which  Ger- 
many's naval  expansion  has  had  on  the  growth  of 

2  The  author  has  heard  accounts  from  the  lips  of  German  cam- 
paigners in  the  Franco-German  V7ar  confirming  the  charges.  They 
admitted  the  brutality,  but  pleaded  justification. 


S12  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

other  fleets.  It  is  a  German  refutation  of  the  Ger- 
man assertion  that  she  has  been  driven  to  build  a 
great  fleet  by  the  Increase  of  other  fleets.  On  the 
contrary,  It  proves  clearly  that  the  advent  of  the 
German  fleet  let  loose  International  suspicion  and 
forced  the  other  naval  powers  to  keep  pace.  Only 
England  has  been  able  to  keep  ahead  during  the 
short  period  of  naval  hustling  initiated  by  Germany 
in  1900. 

Furthermore  it  must  strike  the  student  of  Ger- 
many's naval  literature  that  up  to  1902  comparisons 
were  often  made  with  France,  but  after  that  year 
the  Teuton  looked  upon  France  as  finished  with; 
from  that  point  only  England  interests  him,  and  he 
discusses  again  and  again  a  naval  conflict  with  this 
country. 

Nauticus  writes  under  the  heading  "  World  Policy 
and  Naval  Power,''  1902:  "The  expansion  of 
Continental  policy  to  world  policy  must  be  on  the 
basis  of  a  mighty  fleet.  In  world  politics  that  power 
takes  precedence  which  possesses  the  greatest  navy." 

A  year  later  the  same  work  contains  a  detailed 
study  of  what  England  could  do  against  Germany 
in  a  naval  war;  there  is  a  sermon  on  the  "  jealous 
rival,"  and  the  determination  expressed  that  Ger- 
many must  continue  to  tread  the  path  of  world 
policy.  Envious  England  was  already  trying  to 
allure  or  frighten  her  from  that  path.  The  answer 
must  be  ships  and  still  more  battleships. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  313 

Yet  the  German  never  perceives  that  every  page 
of  his  propaganda  is  soiled  with  envy  for  England's 
powerful  position  In  1907,  p.  17,  Nauticus  con- 
tinues :  "  Great  Britain  is  more  a  world  power  than 
ever ;  her  foreign  poHcy  is  only  world  policy  because 
she  can  attain  everything  she  desires  by  her  fleet. 
Whether  it  will  always  be  so  remains  to  be  seen." 

After  this  candid  confession  that  Germany's  fleet 
has  another  mission  than  that  of  defence,  it  Is  amus- 
ing to  read  Nauticus's  annual  explosions  of  wrath 
because  England  took  preventive  measures.  He, 
too,  scorns  the  idea  of  friendship  with  England,  and 
is  astonished  ( 19 13,  p.  4)  **  that  anybody  In  England 
can  perceive  a  danger  In  the  German  fleet.  It  Is 
quite  Incomprehensible,  for  It  has  never  occurred  to 
us  to  rival  England  in  naval  armaments." 

In  the  October  number,  1909,  of  the  "  P.  Y.  B." 
Delbriick  discussed  the  fleet  question  In  detail.  The 
article  is  entitled :  "  Why  Germany  builds  Battle- 
ships." He  reintroduces  France  into  the  discussion, 
and  aflirms  that  Germany's  ships  are  Intended  to 
prevent  France  from  cutting  off  German  commerce 
In  the  next  war.  The  fleet  Is  not  Intended  either  to 
threaten  or  crush  England.  (It  Is  curious  that  the 
German  people  always  believed  that  to  be  the  mission 
of  the  German  navy. —  Author.)  Yet  the  learned 
professor  states  that  "  without  German  ships  the 
world  to-day  would  be  on  the  way  to  become  English 
within  thirty  years.     Fortunately  the  German  fleet 


314  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

makes  that  hope  a  mere  phantasy.  Our  fleet  is  not 
to  get  colonies,^  but  only  to  enable  German  influence, 
capital,  trade,  technics  and  intelligence  to  enter  Into 
free  competition  In  those  lands  which  are  outside 
European  culture." 

In  the  same  article  It  is  admitted  that  if  Germany 
could  crush  England,  then  she  would  obtain  world 
power;  the  rivalry  between  the  two  countries  is  natu- 
ral, but  it  need  not  lead  to  war.  It  will  be  sufiiclent 
for  the  two  powers  to  hold  each  other  In  check  by 
developing  their  armaments  ad  infinitum,  "  Thus 
the  possibility  of  war  can  take  the  place  of  war.'' 

Only  a  few  months  previously  Delbriick  had 
fumed  because  "  while  Europe  was  occupied  Eng- 
land has  grabbed  three  more  provinces  of  Slam. 
Are  her  politicians  cleverer  than  ours?  No,  they 
are  not;  but  it  Is  on  account  of  her  fleet.  Bismarck 
declined  to  take  up  world  politics  and  the  building 
of  battleships,  but  we  do  not  intend  to  be  so  modest. 
Although  the  public  is  sometimes  enraged  at  our  Im- 
potence, our  watchword  must  be  patience  and  care.'* 

Two  years  later  the  same  writer  repeats  his  lesson 

^  Germany's  naval  propaganda  is  replete  with  contradictions  and 
subterfuges.  There  is  a  large  amount  of  material  intended  for  the 
German  taxpayer,  and  a  great  many  arguments  for  the  use  of  Eng- 
lish pacifists.  But  this  disavowal  of  any  intention  to  obtain  colonies 
is  unique.  Cf.  "P.  Y.  B."  1913,  December  number,  p.  574:  "Ger- 
many's political  task  in  the  present  state  of  the  world  can  be  no 
other  than  to  found  a  great  colonial  empire,  and  not  to  permit  that 
anything  is  taken  as  a  sphere  of  interest  unless  we  are  partici- 
pators." By  this  standard  we  must  judge  her  protestations  of  inno- 
cence in  her  designs  against  England. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  315 

on  patience  In  the  words :  "  Time  is  In  our  favour, 
and  we  must  carefully  avoid  everything  which  might 
hasten  the  crisis  with  England." 

An  open  letter  from  Professor  Delbriick  was  pub- 
lished In  the  Contemporary  Review  for  April,  191 1, 
in  which  the  people  of  England  were  Informed  that 
the  building  of  Germany's  fleet  was  the  answer  to 
England's  shortsighted  and  envious  policy.*  Del- 
briick repeated  the  well-worn  phrase  that  Germany 
had  no  Intention  of  attacking  England  (which  we 
readily  believe,  because  her  preparations  for  attack 
were  not  completed) ,  and  asserts  that  it  is  impossible 
to  remove  the  tension  between  the  two  countries. 
"  For  all  time  the  German  nation  will  Insist  upon  hav- 
ing a  fleet  which  Inspires  respect  In  the  English,  and 
we  shall  build  all  the  more  because  our  overseas  com- 
merce is  continually  on  the  Increase.  I  belong  to  those 
who  do  not  expect  any  success  either  from  arbitration 
treaties  or  international  armament  limitations.'* 

This  utterance  deserves  special  notice,  because  it 
expresses  In  brief  form  the  opinion  of  the  German 
nation.  All  thinking  Germans  have  long  been  con- 
vinced that  any  friendly  arrangement  with  England 
was  outside  the  realm  of  practical  politics. 

In  one  place  we  are  told  that  England's  envy  has 

*  Considering  that  Delbruck  had  made  fun  of  England's  friend- 
ship when  offered  by  Mr.  Chamberlain  (1898  and  1899)  and  later 
by  Mr.  Carapbell-Bannerman,  it  is  difficult  to  understand  what 
would  have  appeased  the  Germans.  They  rejected  our  friendship, 
and  accused  us  of  envying  and  hating  them! 


316  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

driven  the  German  Empire  to  build  a  great  fleet, 
and  in  another  and  later  article  ("  P.  Y.  B.,"  Novem- 
ber, 19 13,  p.  363)  a  very  different  version  occurs. 
In  this  place  Delbriick  admits  that  England's  mistrust 
and  jealousy  {Argwohn)  have  disappeared,  and  that 
Great  Britain  is  resigned  to  German  rivalry. 

He  writes:  "  The  suspicion  that  Germany  is  pre- 
paring for  war  has  evidently  absolutely  disappeared. 
Is  it  possible  under  these  circumstances  to  diminish 
our  naval  armaments?  No !  the  continuation  of  our 
ship-building  will  not  spoil  our  good  relations  to 
England."  Then  he  asks:  "Are  we  approaching 
a  period  of  general  peace  and  friendship,  an  era  of 
well-being  and  content?  "  and  answers  it  in  the  nega- 
tive :  "  It  will  be  just  the  contrary,  for  humanity 
only  feels  well  amidst  strife.** 

Thus  it  is  evident  that  no  force  whatever  could 
change  Germany's  purpose  to  rival  England  on  the 
waters.  Ostensibly  her  fleet  was  to  protect  her  from 
English  aggression,  and  although  the  Fatherland's 
agitators  never  ceased  to  frighten  the  German  public 
by  that  bogy,  yet  her  responsible  leaders  knew  that 
there  was  no  danger  from  long-suffering  England, 
and  even  when  claiming  that  England  had  been  lulled 
into  the  desired  calm,  still  more  German  ships  had 
to  be  built.  The  fact  that  England  seemed  recon- 
ciled to  the  presence  of  a  great  German  fleet  near 
her  coasts  seems  to  have  given  German  writers  con- 
siderable satisfaction. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  317 

In  the  "  P.  Y.  B.''  for  March,  1 8 12,  it  is  recorded 
that  **  Germans  believe  that  England's  international 
affairs  will  compel  her  nolens  volens  to  put  up  with 
the  German  fleet,  and  our  agitators  are  recommend- 
ing that  the  opportunity  should  be  made  use  of  to 
increase  the  naval  programme.'* 

More  than  once  a  note  of  rejoicing  is  heard  that 
England  is  getting  tired  of  the  race.  Reventlow 
writes  on  p.  386  of  his  book:  "The  offers  of 
Haldane  and  Churchill  show  that  matters  are  be- 
coming more  difficult  for  England  from  the  financial, 
military  and  naval  points  of  view.  Further,  the 
English  place  great  hope  in  the  International  and 
pacifistic  movement  in  Germany.'' 

For  several  years  past  the  opinion  has  gradually 
gained  ground  that  England  was  getting  tired  of  the 
race  and  she  was  beginning  to  feel  the  drain  upon 
her  resources.  This,  it  was  said,  was  the  real  mo- 
tive for  Mr.  Churchill  proposing  a  naval  holiday. 
Our  ardent  desire  for  an  equitable  arrangement  was 
not  considered  a  sign  that  we  respected  Germany's 
right  to  exist  and  thrive,  but  Germans  said  on  all 
sides,  that  the  arrangement  was  sought  because  Eng- 
land saw  that  was  her  only  hope  to  escape  either 
gradual  suffocation  or  Germany's  final  grand  attack. 

The  newspapers  contained  (19 13)  elaborate 
proofs  that  this  country  was  far  more  heavily  bur- 
dened with  taxation  than  the  Fatherland.  Although 
the  writer  is  unable  to  quote  the  statistics  cited,  he 


318  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

remembers  the  line  of  argument,  which  was  as 
follows : 

The  taxation  of  the  entire  population  of  the  Brit- 
ish Isles  is  45s.  per  head,  while  in  Germany  it  works 
out  at  25s.  per  unit.  The  astute  agitators  omitted 
the  fact  that  every  German  whose  income  is  £30  per 
annum  pays  both  rates  and  taxes ;  further,  that  taxa- 
tion in  England  only  commences  on  incomes  of  £160 
per  annum.  In  Germany  every  individual  —  even 
servant-girls  —  have  had  to  pay  income-tax,  and  the 
rates  are  calculated  on  that  basis,  e.g.,  in  Erlangen 
a  person  who  paid  100  pence  income  tax  contributed 
140  pence  to  local  rates.  That  is  to  say,  the  rates 
are  140  per  cent,  of  amount  paid  for  income  tax. 
The  percentage  for  rates  varies;  in  Munich  it  is 
about  200  per  cent.  In  England  there  are  millions 
of  men  and  women  who  contribute  nothing  in  di- 
rect taxation;  in  Germany  there  is  not  a  single  in- 
dividual who  escapes  the  duty  of  rendering  unto 
Caesar. 

While  Lord  Haldane  was  in  Berlin  the  writer  had 
a  conversation  with  an  old  pupil  of  Treitschke,  Pro- 
fessor Beckmann,  of  Erlangen  University.  The 
naval  question  was  the  topic  under  discussion,  and 
the  writer  pointed  out  that  naval  supremacy  is  a  life- 
and-death  question  for  England,  for  supposing  that 
England  defeated  the  German  navy,  she  would  still 
be  unable  to  threaten  Germany*s  existence.  There- 
fore it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  the  two  peoples 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  319 

to  make  an  arrangement  by  which  German  interests 
would  be  protected  and  England's  existence  secured. 
The  sea  is,  in  fact,  England's  jugular  vein,  and  if  she 
loses  command  of  the  seas,  then  her  jugular  vein  is 
cut.  "  So  much  the  better,"  replied  Professor  B. ; 
"  and  we  Germans  look  upon  it  as  our  destined  mis- 
sion to  sever  that  particular  vein." 

His  subsequent  remarks  were  to  the  effect  that  no 
such  arrangement  would  ever  be  ratified  by  Germany. 
"  The  government  which  took  that  step  would  cause 
a  revolution  in  Germany.  We  look  upon  the  trident 
as  our  birthright,  and  if  things  go  on  as  they  are,  the 
day  will  inevitably  come  when  England  will  volun- 
tarily surrender  it;  if  she  will  not,  we  shall  take  it 
by  force.  Meanwhile,  you  can  rest  assured  that 
Berlin  will  amuse  Lord  Haldane  and  themselves,  but 
nothing  of  a  binding  nature  will  be  done." 

It  is  true,  that  when  the  failure  of  Lord  Haldane's 
mission  became  evident,  Germans  heaved  a  sigh  of 
relief.  They  had  feared  that  "  English  cunning  " 
might  succeed  in  wheedling  the  Kaiser  and  his  gov- 
ernment into  selling  Germany's  "  birth-right  "  for  a 
mess  of  pottage,  in  the  form  of  an  agreement  limiting 
the  growth  of  the  two  fleets. 

Count  Reventlow  continues,  p.  389 :  **  The  fruits 
of  heavy  work  and  great  sacrifice  will  soon  ripen, 
but  they  can  only  ripen  if  we  continue  to  tread  the 
appointed  and  prepared  way.  We  must  proceed 
calmly  and  resolutely,  and  not  allow  ourselves  to  be 


320  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

blinded  into  thinking  Great  Britain's  interest  is  Ger- 
many's welfare. 

"  When  the  English  people  see  that  neither  time 
nor  change  in  political  parties  nor  gushing  politeness 
are  able  to  exercise  any  influence  in  diminishing  the 
German  fleet,  then  they  will  at  last  resign  themselves 
to  the  inevitable." 

The  same  writer  expresses  his  keen  satisfaction 
that  Herr  von  Biilow  during  his  Chancellorship 
(1900  to  1909)  and  his  successor,  Bethmann-HoU- 
weg,  both  set  their  faces  against  England's  "  allure- 
ments." These  ministers  could  not  have  followed 
any  other  course,  for  the  Kaiser  did  not  want  Eng- 
land's friendship.  Germany's  foreign  policy  is  a 
personal  policy  dictated  by  the  Emperor,  and  no 
Chancellor  could  remain  in  ofiice  whose  international 
policy  was  not  in  accordance  with  the  Kaiser's  wishes. 

Reventlow,  together  with  other  writers,  admits 
that  von  Billow's  refusal  to  make  an  arrangement 
with  England  drove  the  latter  into  the  entente 
cordiale. 

It  is  difficult  to  see  how  England  could  have  satis- 
fied the  Fatherland,  for  she  would  not  deign  to  ac- 
cept our  proffered  friendship,  and  was  enraged  with 
England  for  making  a  friendly  arrangement  with 
both  France  and  Russia. 

There  were  Germans,  however,  who  saw  that  it 
was  an  imperative  necessity  for  Germany  to  arrive 
at  some  mutual  understanding  with  this  country: 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  321 

"  An  arrangement  with  England  concerning  naval 
armaments  is  the  Archimedean  point  of  leverage,  at 
which  a  world  policy  on  a  grand  scale  can  be  assured 
to  the  German  Empire.  Without  this  understand- 
ing with  England  we  shall  always  be  troubled  with 
the  fear  that  our  future,  which  is  to  be  on  the  water, 
disappears  one  fine  day  under  the  water."  ^ 

Another  writer  may  be  cited  in  support  of  the 
point  that  Germany  never  intended  to  recognize  Eng- 
land's naval  supremacy,  which  is  synonymous  with 
England's  existence.  The  writer  is  an  American, 
and  not  open  to  a  charge  of  partiality.  *'  Germany 
is  determined  to  possess  a  battle  fleet  so  strong  that 
a  war  with  her  would,  even  for  the  greatest  naval 
power,  be  attended  by  such  danger  as  would  render 
that  power's  position  doubtful.  The  suggestion  that 
England  should  make  an  arrangement  with  Germany 
and  retain  her  preponderance  on  the  sea  does  not 
seem  a  futility  in  England;  in  Germany  it  is  regarded 
as  verging  upon  impudence."  ^ 

For  many  years  a  semi-oificial  Navy  Year  Book 
{Taschenhuch  der  Kriefsflotten)  has  appeared  in 
Berlin.  The  issue  for  19 13  comments  on  the  politi- 
cal situation  as  follows :  *'  The  critical  period  which 
Germany  passed  through  in  191 1,  and  which  brought 
into  the  realm  of  probabilities  an  unexpected  attack 

5  "Von  Bismarck  bis  Bethmann,"  by  Dr.  Michaelis,  p.  134.  Ber- 
lin, 1911. 

^  "  Monarchical  Socialism  in  Germany,"  by  Elmer  Roberts.  Lon- 
don and  New  York,  1913. 


3^2  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

from  England  assisted  by  France,  has  opened  the 
eyes  of  the  German  nation  to  the  threatened  danger. 
The  national  outburst  which  this  caused,  found  ex- 
pression in  a  vigorous  demand  by  the  expert  and 
daily  press,  by  the  newly-founded  defence  society 
(fVehrverein),  by  the  German  Navy  League  and 
other  patriotic  societies,  for  increased  imperial  se- 
curity against  that  kind  of  sudden  hostilities.  In 
February,  19 12,  the  speech  from  the  throne  an- 
nounced another  armaments  bill  {Wehrvorlage)^ 
which  provided  for  an  increase  in  the  army  and  navy, 
and  raised  the  standard  of  their  preparedness  for 
war,  and  on  May  21st,  the  bill  was  passed  by  the 
Reichstag  with  praiseworthy  unanimity." 

No  mention  is  made  of  the  fact  that  Germany 
alone  provoked  the  crisis  of  191 1,  but  the  defensive 
measures  taken  by  England  and  France  against  Ger- 
many's bullying  attempt  to  destroy  the  entente  cor- 
diale  in  that  year  were  immediately  exploited  in 
Germany  to  obtain  more  ships.  The  Reichstag 
granted  an  Increase  of  eight  battleships,  four  battle- 
cruisers  and  six  small  cruisers,  together  with  a  cor- 
responding Increase  In  men,  etc. 

The  same  writer  continues,  p.  561:  "British 
naval  policy  in  19 12  again  showed  in  the  plainest 
manner  its  anti-German  tendency."  Mr.  Churchill's 
proposals  are  quoted  with  amused  contempt.  "  His 
declarations,  with  their  remarkable  frankness,  were 
obviously  directed  to  the  address  of  the  German  peo- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  323 

pie  and  the  Reichstag,  which  was  then  awaiting  a  new 
navy  bill.  The  joyful  acceptance  which  the  said  bill 
met  with  a  few  months  later  must  have  been  a  little 
disappointing  in  reference  to  the  influence  of  Church- 
ill's speech." 

The  Taschenbuch  bemoans  the  fact  that  **  In 
autumn  every  year,  on  all  German  ships,  the  reserv- 
ists are  dismissed,  that  is  to  say,  nearly  one-third  of 
the  crews.  These  are  replaced  largely  by  recruits 
from  the  agricultural  population.  This  causes  the 
navy's  preparedness  for  war  to  be  diminished  for  a 
considerable  time." 

There  is  one  other  book  which  deserves  to  be 
quoted  in  this  chapter,  and  it  is  probably  the  most 
important  of  all,  for  it  was  written  by  a  high  official 
of  the  German  Admiralty  and  illustrated  by  a  per- 
sonal friend  of  the  Kaiser's."^  Men  holding  positions 
like  Stower  and  Wislicenus,  and  men  in  close  per- 
sonal touch  with  the  German  Emperor,  would  never 
dare  to  write  anything  which  they  were  not  sure  was 
in  accord  with  the  opinions  held  by  their  imperial 
master.  The  work  in  question  ^  was  an  officially 
recognized  publication  in  honour  of  the  twenty-fifth 
year  of  the  Kaiser's  reign,  and  has  had  a  large  circu- 
lation throughout  Germany.  The  following  Is  a 
selection  from  the  author's  opinions : 

^See  p.  282. 

8  "  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II.  und  die  Marine,"  by  Professor  Stower  and 
Admiralty  Councillor  G.  Wislicenus.    Berlin,  1913. 


324  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

"  To  the  English  every  non-British  battleship  is  a 
luxury.  But  British  claims  in  regard  to  the  su- 
premacy of  the  sea  are  outside  the  domains  of  logic 
and  morality.  At  least  according  to  German  feel- 
ings of  honour  "  {Ehrgefuhl  —  the  old  story.  Vide 
p.  90).  "  No  British  expert  fears  a  German  attack, 
but  many  of  them  would  like  to  spring  upon  young 
Siegfried  [Germany]  from  an  ambush,  slip  a  noose 
round  his  neck  and  throttle  him,  in  order  to  make 
him  poor  and  harmless  for  centuries  to  come.  As 
soon  as  this  rival  [Germany]  is  done  with,  then  the 
fate  of  our  fleet  is  settled  too.  The  anxiety  in  the 
supremacy  question  is  so  great  that  they  even  talk  of 
danger  and  menace." 

Wislicenus  finds  the  topic  of  English  envy  and 
suspicion  inexhaustible,  and  again  and  again  he  calls 
up  before  his  readers  the  spectre  of  robber  England 
waiting  to  pounce  upon  Germany  without  a  declara- 
tion of  war.  Like  all  other  German  naval  writers, 
he  glories  in  the  fact  that  Lord  Haldane  was  not 
able  to  bring  about  an  understanding  limiting  Ger- 
many's naval  expansion. 

"  The  instigators  of  strife  in  England  employed 
the  Morocco  question  to  provoke  a  war.  England 
wanted  war,  but  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  she  had  her 
coal  stores  on  the  East  Coast  all  in  readiness,  her 
hopes  were  disappointed." 

In  reply  to  England's  *'  stupid  threat  of  interven- 
tion "  ( 191 1 )  **  It  was  shown  more  clearly  than  ever 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  825 

by  the  overwhelming  majority  in  the  Reichstag  for 
the  navy  bill  (19 12)  and  the  absence  of  opposition, 
that  Germany  possesses  —  in  spite  of  British  threats 
—  an  unconquerable,  immovable  will  to  assert  her- 
self as  a  naval  power,  and  to  be  armed  against  all 
enviers,  to  protect  German  commerce  and  shipping, 
and  the  freedom  of  the  seas." 

In  view  of  the  historical  fact  that  England  founded 
and  for  a  century  has  maintained  the  "  freedom  of 
the  seas  ''  to  all  comers,  it  is  hard  to  understand  what 
Wislicenus's  modern  crusade  intends  to  achieve. 
German  commerce  and  shipping  are  merely  secon- 
dary results  arising  from  conditions  created  by  the 
British  fleet.  If  the  British  fleet  had  not  long  since 
established  the  freedom  of  the  ocean,  in  all  proba- 
bility German  commerce  would  never  have  come  into 
being. 

"  Friedrich  List  exclaimed  some  seventy  years 
ago :  *  Might  Is  the  freedom  of  the  State,'  and  this 
has  become  a  watchword  among  all  sensible  Ger- 
mans. In  191 1  foreign  threats  of  war  blew  away 
German  MlchaePs  cap,  but  he  only  grasped  his  hel- 
met and  shield  In  order  to  show  his  enemies  his 
teeth."      ( Exact  translation. —  Author. ) 

Wislicenus's  rage  boils  over  when  discussing  Eng- 
land's fleet  a  necessity,  Germany's  a  luxury.  "  The 
British  Statesmen  would  have  preferred  to  declare, 
like  Palmerston  In  1848,  that  steamers  flying  the 
German  Imperial  flag  would  be  treated  as  pirates; 


326  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

and  they  would  gladly  have  claimed  that  battleships 
may  only  be  built  in  England,  and  only  for  the 
British  fleet.  But  they  dare  not.  The  Germans  are 
not  a  Hindoo  people  with  the  souls  of  slaves,  but  a 
blond,  manly,  warlike  nation,  and  as  good  as  the 
British.'' 

In  summing  up,  the  author  wishes  to  emphasize 
the  fact  that  he  has  only  cited  high  and  responsible 
authorities.  Their  language  is  sufficiently  violent, 
but  their  utterances  are  exceedingly  polite  in  com- 
parison to  the  opinions  which  prevailed  among  the 
masses  of  the  German  nation  in  ante-war  days, 
especially  in  the  reptile  press,  the  publications  of  the 
Navy  League,  and  the  sensational  romances  on  the 
coming  war  with  England. 

English  Statesmen  so  far  apart  In  their  political 
convictions  as  Joseph  Chamberlain,  Campbell-Ban- 
nermann,  Winston  Churchill  and  Lord  Haldane 
have  endeavoured  to  conciliate  Germany,  but  have 
only  met  with  German  truculence,  personal  vilifica- 
tion and  contempt.  England  has  offered  Germany 
friendship  —  and  It  has  been  spat  upon.  England 
has  offered  Germany  every  security  to  her  sea-borne 
trade  In  return  for  a  mutual  limitation  of  armaments, 
and  Germany  has  rejected  the  offer. 

Germany  knew  that  she  already  had  security  for 
her  commerce  —  England's  sense  of  justice  and  fair 
play  was  an  absolute  guarantee  of  that.  Germany 
rejected  all  formal  offers  on  the  subject,  because  she 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  327 

would  have  been  compelled  to  renounce  her  ambition 
for  naval  supremacy  and  world  domination;  and 
Germany  has  only  to  thank  her  insensate  ambition 
that  she  is  to-day  England's  enemy,  and  not  Eng- 
land's friend. 

England's  cause  is  a  just  cause,  and  doubly  so 
because  she  has  done  everything  humanly  possible  to 
conciliate  an  irreconcilable,  uncompromising,  arro- 
gant rival. 

Germany's  own  literature  as  quoted  in  this  work 
shows  conclusively  that  England  has  avoided  giving 
offence,  has  not  sought  the  conflict,  but  that  Ger- 
many has  wantonly  forced  it  upon  her. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

PEACE,    WAR  AND   ARBITRATION 

THE  present  does  not  seem  to  the  writer  an 
appropriate  time  to  open  up  debatable  ques- 
tions, or  the  right  moment  to  apportion  responsibility. 
Yet  it  is  an  imperative  duty  to  miss  no  opportunity 
to  collect  facts,  weigh  them,  and  form  opinions  in 
readiness  for  the  universal  rearrangement  which  will 
come  after  the  war.  In  England  the  writer  hopes 
that  some  of  the  forces  which  have  assisted  in  form- 
ing and  leading  public  opinion  will  be  deposed  from 
their  pedestal  of  ignorance. 

Unfortunately  there  are  millions  of  English  peo- 
ple who,  one  year  ago,  could  not  speak  too  disparag- 
ingly of  our  army  and  missed  no  opportunity  of 
slighting  it.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  events  of 
19 14  have  given  them  saner  opinons.  Some  indi- 
viduals seem,  however,  to  be  quite  incorrigible,  as 
witness  the  congress  of  the  Free  Churches  held  in 
Manchester. 

The  Daily  Mail  reported  on  March  12th  that  a 
delegate  wished  to  send  "  fraternal  greetings  '*  from 
the  National  Council  of  Evangelical  Free  Churches 
to  their  brethren  in  Germany.  Here  is  an  example 
of  crass  ignorance.     Who  and  what  are  the  Free 

328 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  3«9 

Churches  In  Germany?  The  author  must  regret- 
fully answer  that  they  are  nothing  and  represent  no- 
body. In  1 910  there  were  39,991,421  Lutherans; 
23,821,453  Roman  Catholics;  615,021  Jews  and 
283,946  members  of  other  Christian  Churches  in  the 
German  Empire.  The  last  number  includes  mem- 
bers of  the  Greek  Church  (the  Russians,  who  belong 
to  the  Greek  Church,  have  many  congregations  In 
Germany)  ;  Church  of  England  (which  had  a  very 
considerable  number  of  members  in  the  Father- 
land) ;  and  the  Free  Churches  (Methodists,  Baptists, 
Salvation  Army,  etc.). 

At  a  very  liberal  estimate  the  Free  Churches  can 
only  claim  about  150,000  members  In  the  68,000,000 
Inhabitants  of  the  Kaiser's  empire.  They  are  de- 
spised socially  and  do  not  possess  a  fragment  of 
political  power.  Yet  the  Rev.  F.  B.  Meyer  and 
others  of  his  school,  have  believed  and  taught  that 
England  and  the  cause  of  progress  had  a  great  deal 
to  hope  from  the  Free  Churches  in  Germany. 

The  Christians  who  belong  to  the  Free  Churches 
in  Germany  are  free  only  In  name.  If  they  had 
dared  to  utter  such  sentiments  as  Free  Churchmen 
have  given  expression  to  In  England,  they  would 
have  been  shot  years  ago. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  this  150,000  includes 
men,  women  and  children,  and  of  the  men  not  one 
occupies  a  position  of  Influence.  And  in  case  the 
Rev.  F.  B.  Meyer  Is  anxious  to  obtain  knowledge, 


330  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

the  author  hastens  to  Inform  him  that  the  Free 
Churches  In  Germany  are  not  the  "  little  leaven 
which  leaveneth  the  whole." 

Since  the  writer  returned  to  England  he  has  been 
amazed  on  many  occasions  at  the  awful  misconcep- 
tions which  prevail  (or  prevailed?)  among  English- 
men In  regard  to  German  life.  One  Free  Church 
pastor  had  industriously  Informed  his  congregation 
that  Germany  Is  the  most  religious  country  in  the 
world.  The  writer  had  the  pleasure  of  a  conversa- 
tion with  this  gentleman,  and  heard  his  experience 
at  first  hand. 

The  reverend  gentleman  had  been  present  at  a 
Free  Church  Congress  in  Berlin,  although  he  does 
not  know  a  word  of  German.  At  the  concluding 
meeting  some  2,000  delegates  from  all  parts  of  the 
world  joined  hands  and  sang  the  same  hymn,  each  In 
his  own  language.  The  reverend  gentleman  said  It 
was  the  most  inspiring  moment  In  his  life,  and  under 
this  rhapsodic  impression  concluded  that  the  Ger- 
mans are  the  most  religious  people  in  the  world.' 
Worse  than  all,  he  and  many  of  his  like,  have  found 
Englishmen  capable  of  believing  such  an  erroneous 
conclusion. 

During  the  Boer  War  an  Englishman  was  present 
at  a  dance  given  in  Berlin.  It  was  an  assembly  of 
influential  personages.  During  the  evening  a  tele- 
gram arrived  announcing  a  British  defeat  in  South 
Afrjca,  and  the  merry  throng  went  wild  with  joy. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  331 

In  the  midst  of  the  patriotic  demonstration  which 
followed,  a  lonely  figure  was  observed,  evidently  one 
who  did  not  share  the  gladness  of  the  moment. 
Then  the  hosts  remembered  that  an  Englishman  was 
in  the  company,  and  that  their  behaviour  was  prob- 
ably wounding  his  feelings.  Someone  proposed  that 
they  should  sing  "  God  save  the  Queen  "  in  order  to 
heal  the  wound  —  and  those  Teutons  sang  our  Na- 
tional Anthem  with  awe-inspiring  fervour! 

Knowing  this  fact  and  many  more  illustrations  of 
the  kind,  the  author  ventures  to  advise  the  Free 
Church  pastor  not  to  place  too  much  importance 
upon  theatrical  displays  when  they  are  engineered  by 
Germans.  German  character  is  the  same,  whether 
it  Is  concealed  beneath  the  drab  coat  of  a  German 
Methodist  or  the  gay  uniform  of  a  German  officer. 

German  war  literature  Is  even  more  voluminous 
than  that  reviewed  In  the  last  two  chapters.  It  Is 
only  possible  to  give  an  Idea  of  Its  general  trend  by 
quoting  from  living  writers.  Professor  Delbriick 
—  the  man  on  whom  Treltschke's  mantle  fell  — 
wrote  In  the  "P.  Y.  B.''  for  November,  19 lo,  a 
fifty-page  glorification  of  the  sword.  It  Is  callejd 
"In  Wehr  und  Waffen "  ("Fully  armed  and 
equipped"),  and  begins  with  an  old  German 
proverb : 

Sellg  1st  das  Land  und  die  Stadt 

So  bei  Friedenszeiten  den  Krleg  betracht. 

(Blessed  is  the  land  and  the  town 
Which  in  peace  make  a  study  of  arms.) 


332  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Delbriick  affirms  that:  "Modern  civilization 
rests  on  the  great  national  States,  and  they  depend 
for  existence  upon  their  armaments.  The  abolition 
of  armies  would  immediately  produce  a  general  war. 
War  and  all  Its  horrors  has  been  replaced  by  world 
competition  in  armaments,  the  so-called  '  dry '  war." 

In  order  to  show  that  Germany  has  not  suffered 
economically  from  the  large  sums  spent  on  arma- 
ments Delbriick  states  that  in  1895  Income  tax  was 
paid  on  £33,000,000  sterling,  and  in  19 10  this  had 
risen  to  £45,000,000. 

"  The  most  important  part  of  the  industrial 
mechanism  is,  and  will  remain,  the  cannon;  and  the 
indispensable  bearer  of  Kultur  is,  and  will  remain, 
the  soldier,  who  creates  peace.  Not  only  the  out- 
ward army  must  be  maintained  but  the  inner  also  — 
the  moral  force,  the  warlike  spirit,  without  which 
the  best  and  most  perfect  warlike  weapons  are  use- 
less. Warlike  spirit  does  not  mean  the  lust  of 
bloodshed  and  a  desire  for  the  awful  doings  of  war 
for  their  own  sake.  It  should  only  mean,  and  does 
to-day,  the  readiness  and  firmness  of  will  to  accept 
the  struggle  with  all  its  horrors  when  it  has  become 
necessary." 

The  author  of  the  above  overlooks  one  essential 
consideration,  viz. :  Who  Is  to  decide  when  war  is 
necessary?  Charles  I.  claimed  the  right  to  decide 
when  ship-money  was  necessary,  and  Kaiser  Wilhelm 
claims  the  right  to  decide  when  war  is  necessary. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  333 

In  January,  19 12,  Professor  Delbriick  returned 
to  the  theme,  ''  P.  Y.  B.,"  p.  169 :  "  The  danger  of 
a  great  war,  which  we  only  narrowly  escaped  last 
year,  has  only  disappeared  for  a  moment.  That 
danger  stands  on  the  horizon,  threatening,  immov- 
able and  inevitable.  War  creates  moral  qualities  of 
unlimited  power,  and  human  progress  has  come 
above  all  from  the  great  wars  of  history." 

Germany  to-day  could  probably  confirm  something 
of  Delbriick's  picture  of  the  great  regenerator. 
"  In  war  the  work  of  the  fields  is  neglected,  the  land 
is  neither  sown  nor  reaped;  the  machines  in  the  fac- 
tories are  rusting,  for  the  men  have  been  called  to 
battle;  the  thunder  of  mines  and  shells  is  heard  on 
land  and  sea;  the  flames  devour  what  generations 
have  built.  The  houseowner  gets  no  rent,  the  cred- 
itor no  payment,  the  shareholder  no  dividends,  and 
the  State  no  taxes.  Like  a  thief  in  the  night  this 
war  will  come  on  us.  *  The  Germans  will  wake  up 
one  morning,'  said  the  English  minister  Lee  a  long 
time  ago,  *  and  hear  that  they  have  had  a  fleet.* 
Only  a  few  weeks  ago  we  were  standing  on  the  brink 
of  this  precipice,  while  the  English  fleet  was  lying 
in  ambush  ready  to  fetch  our  navy  out  to  the 
slaughter,  which  would  have  opened  all  the  gates  of 
hell  to  let  loose  helPs  horrors  on  Europe.  There- 
fore the  cry  echoes  through  the  land :  *  Strengthen 
our  fleet.'  " 

Throughout  the  article  Delbriick  writes  of  the 


334  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

"  next  '*  war  as  an  absolute  certainty,  which  contra- 
dicts his  previous  assertion  that  the  "  dry  "  war  had 
replaced  real  warfare. 

General  von  BernhardI  has  been  intentionally 
omitted  from  this  work,  because  Bernhardl's  prin- 
cipal contributions  to  war  literature  are  accessible  to 
every  reader. 

The  present  writer  does  not  underrate  Bernhardrs 
Influence  or  the  Interest  which  his  writings  should 
have  for  English  readers.  It  Is,  however,  an  error 
to  suppose  that  BernhardI  converted  the  German 
nation  to  his  theories  of  aggression  by  brute  force. 
Instead  of  converting  the  German  nation,  BernhardI 
Is  on  the  other  hand  merely  Its  mouthpiece.  He  has 
absorbed  Germanism  Into  -himself,  assimilated  It, 
and  then  given  It  to  the  world  stamped  with  his  own 
Impress.  In  relation  to  the  gospel  of  brute  force 
B'ernhardI  occupies  the  same  position  as  Herbert 
Spencer  does  to  evolution.  He  has  applied  the  gos- 
pel In  detail. 

German  military  men  look  upon  Bernhardl's 
principal  work  as  ein  plumper  V  err  at  (a  clumsy 
betrayal).  The  author  doubts  whether  one  In  a 
thousand  Germans  had  ever  heard  of  BernhardI  be- 
fore the  great  war.  Certainly  those  who  read  him 
were  not  converts,  but  they  studied  his  pages  because 
BernhardI  gave  clear  expression  to  their  own  feelings 
and  creed. 

Taking   an   analogy   from   the   botanical  world, 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Bernahrdi  Is  the  fruit  hanging  from  the  great  tree 
of  Germanism,  with  this  difference :  he  did  exercise 
some  Influence  on  the  tree  which  produced  him,  while 
a  ripe  apple  does  not  Influence  Its  parent  tree. 

There  are  historical  reasons,  although  no  justifi- 
cation, why  Germany  has  accepted  militarism  as  a 
gospel  from  which  alone  earthly  salvation  is  attain- 
able. Her  Empire  was  founded  by  the  sword,  and 
its  expansion  was  only  believed  to  be  possible  by  a 
policy  of  blood  and  iron.  With  few  insignificant 
exceptions  all  German  writers  have  inculcated  this 
teaching.  It  would  be  impossible  to  write  even  a 
chapter  in  favour  of  peace  and  arbitration  based 
upon  material  taken  from  reputable  German  sources. 

From  the  German  point  of  view  peace  is  not  an 
end  in  Itself,  but  merely  a  preparation  for  war. 
Logically,  arbitration  Is  to  the  war  school  high 
treason  of  the  most  dastardly  nature.  In  discussing 
the  pacific  movement  (*'  P.  Y.  B.,"  November, 
19 lo),  Professor  Delbriick's  disciple  Dr.  Daniels 
declares  that  "  one  of  the  most  dangerous  movements 
to  peace  is  the  English  popular  pacific  movement." 
History  has  proved  that  statement  to  be  true;  not 
because  the  ideals  of  the  pacifists  are  wrong  in  them- 
selves, but  because  the  pacifists  had  too  little  knowl- 
edge of  humanity  and  still  less  of  International  politi- 
cal conditions. 

They  would  have  been  wise  to  follow  the  example 
of  the  ancient  Jews  who  built  the  Temple,  with  their 


336  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

swords  ever  ready  for  use.  By  this  precautionary 
measure  they  were  enabled  to  complete  a  glorious 
work.  English  pacifists,  on  the  contrary,  have  ad- 
vised this  nation  to  throw  away  the  sword  while 
building  a  great  temple  of  peace.  If  all  the  nations 
of  the  world  were  agreed  that  the  sword  should  be 
turned  into  a  ploughshare,  the  advice  of  our  pacifists 
would  have  been  excellent.  But  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  no  European  nation,  including  the  English,  Is 
ripe  for  the  millennium,  their  advice  bears  a  striking 
resemblance  to  treachery  and  treason. 

The  efforts  of  the  peace  party  have  achieved  noth- 
ing worthy  or  desirable.  This  country  has  been 
lulled  Into  a  sense  of  false  security,  and  Germany 
has  been  led  to  believe  that  England  would  not  fight. 
Two  voices  have  been  recognizable  in  the  Father- 
land, the  one  blatant  militarism,  the  other  for  peace 
and  friendship  with  England.  Only  one  of  these 
voices  has  found  Interpretation  In  deeds  —  the  for- 
mer. Therefore  It  behooved  England  to  listen  to 
that  one  alone.  Had  this  been  done,  military  meas- 
ures would  have  been  taken  which  In  all  probability 
might  have  prevented  war. 

As  the  question  of  retrenchment  In  naval  and  mili- 
tary expenditure  was  the  battle  cry  of  the  pacifists, 
it  Is  well  to  look  that  question  fairly  in  the  face  in 
order  to  see  If  It  really  is  true  economy.  Germany 
spends  annually  £32,000,000  on  her  army,  i.e.^  an 
army  based  upon  universal  service.     Supposing  Eng- 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  337 

land  had  accepted  universal  service  in  1904,  and  put- 
ting the  annual  cost  at  £50,000,000  (a  figure  well  In 
advance  of  Germany's),  then  this  country  would 
have  expended  £500,000,000  up  till  July,  19 14,  and 
would  have  had  an  army  ready  and  able  to  keep  Eng- 
land's pledged  word  —  Belgian  neutrality.  Ger- 
many would  then  have  recognized  that  Great  Britain 
was  both  willing  and  able  to  protect  her  honour. 

Another  point  deserving  consideration  is:  Who 
has  paid  for  English  armaments?  There  are  mil- 
lions of  Free  Churchmen  and  Social  Democrats  m 
this  country  who  contribute  nothing  to  the  State  in 
direct  taxation,  and  what  they  have  paid  towards  the 
army  and  navy  in  indirect  taxation  is  a  negligible 
quantity.  Yet  their  voice  was  the  loudest  in  calling 
for  decreased  armaments.  To-day  they  are  prob- 
ably glad  that  other  people's  money  built  the  British 
navy,  which  alone  protects  Methodist,  Baptist  and 
Independent  Churches  from  the  fate  which  has  over- 
taken Belgian  churches.  In  Germany  all  the  work- 
ing classes  —  male  and  female  —  have  helped  by 
direct  and  indirect  taxation  to  build  the  German  fleet. 
Furthermore,  the  workmen  have  sacrificed  two  or 
three  years'  wages  while  serving  with  the  colours, 
and  it  is  interesting  that  in  the  country  where  the 
working  classes  have  made  real  and  heavy  sacrifices 
for  armaments,  there  has  been  hardly  any  protest 
against  them.  Have  British  workmen  made  sacri- 
fices  like   these?     Have   they  made    any   sacrifice 


338  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

which  gives  them  the  right  to  protest  against  arma- 
ments in  time  of  peace  and  to  threaten  the  nation's 
existence  by  strikes  and  labour  troubles  in  time  of 
war? 

Mr.  Lloyd  George  has  stated  that  by  the  end  of 
the  present  year  the  war  will  have  cost  us  £900,000,- 
000  without  counting  losses  inflicted  by  the  enemy, 
loss  of  trade,  and  what  should  interest  the  pacifists 
most  of  all  —  loss  of  life. 

A  certain  writer  has  endeavoured  to  prove  that 
money  spent  on  armaments  is  "  The  Great  Illusion," 
but  the  present  writer  ventures  to  say  it  is  a  Great 
Delusion  not  to  spend  money  to  prevent  war.  Mr. 
Norman  Angell  boasts  in  "  Who's  Who  "  of  the 
number  of  languages  into  which  his  "  Great  Illu- 
sion "  has  been  translated,  but  he  omits  to  mention 
any  one  country  which  has  failed  to  declare  it  in 
practice  a  —  Great  Delusion  I  To  England's  bitter 
cost  the  dupes  were  all  Englishmen.  For  it  will  be 
England's  cost !  This  war  must  be  fought  till  Eng- 
land is  victorious;  but  the  man  who  believes  that 
Germany  can  pay  the  bill  must  possess  an  exceed- 
ingly sanguine  temperament. 

Delbriick,  writing  in  the  volume  last  quoted,  says 
of  pacifism  in  Germany:  "This  movement  brings 
dangers  for  the  intellectual  health  of  our  people,  and 
it  is  necessary  to  fight  against  them." 

Another    writer  ^    denounces    the    movement    as 

1  Count   Loringboren   in   "The   Fundamentals   of  W^arlike   Suc- 
cess."   Berlin,   1914. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  339 

"  vague  cosmopolitan  humanitarian  ecstasy/^  and  in 
another  work  ^  protests  against  "  the  hateful  high- 
sounding  word  '  militarism,'  which  Is  not  applicable 
to  German  conditions."  After  reviewing  a  number 
of  recent  wars,  General  Loringboren  continues: 
*'  What  I  have  written  is  a  continuous  series  of  refu- 
tations of  the  doctrine  of  eternal  peace.  The  latter 
emanates  from  effeminate  natures  who  have  forgot- 
ten what  Treitschke  says :  *  History  bears  through- 
out only  manly  traits,  and  was  not  made  for  women 
or  sentimentalists.'  Pacifism  Is  at  bottom  the  crass- 
est materialism  which  wraps  Itself  In  unintelligible 
phrases  about  idealism,  thus  deceiving  simple  natures 
as  to  Its  real  essence." 

A  still  more  recent  work  ^  deals  exhaustively  with 
the  question  of  arbitration.  On  p.  284,  Reventlow 
writes :  "  The  Hague  Conference  was  only  an  Eng- 
lish trick  to  cripple  Germany  and  keep  her  fleet 
under.  The  popular  opinion  In  Germany  at  the  time 
was,  that  England  at  the  head  of  the  other  powers, 
having  failed  to  overwhelm  us  politically  and  diplo- 
matically, was  now  trying  to  weaken  our  defensive 
power  —  the  backbone  of  national  existence.  A 
great  wave  of  disquietude  went  over  the  nation." 

With  regard  to  the  second  Hague  Conference, 
Reventlow  reports :  "  The  Chancellor  von  Biilow 
said  openly  In  1907  that  he  hoped  for  nothing  from 

2  "War  and  Politics  in  Modern  Times."     Berlin,  1911. 

8  Count  Reventlow's  "  Germany's  Foreign  Policy."     Berlin,  1914. 


340  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

such  discussions,  although  he  was  prepared  to  take 
part.  Public  opinion,  as  expressed  in  press  and 
parliament,  was  in  favour  of  boycotting  the  confer- 
ence. Britain's  proposals  for  the  limitation  of 
navies  may  have  been  honest,  but  it  would  have 
meant  an  end  to  Germany's  future  sea-power,  and 
would  have  erected  an  international  curatorship 
under  English  direction."  It  was  the  German  dele- 
gate, Baron  von  Marshall,  who  rejected  the  proposal 
of  an  International  Arbitration  Court.  According 
to  Reventlow,  Portugal  was  "  put  up  "  by  perfidious 
England  to  make  the  proposal. 

The  same  historian  records  that  the  second  Hague 
Conference,  as  far  as  Germany  is  concerned,  quickly 
went  to  oblivion.  It  was  of  little  or  no  importance, 
and  in  all  essentials  Germany  had  had  her  will  ac- 
cepted. 

The  writer  has  arrived  at  the  end  of  his  task,  as 
he  does  not  propose  to  discuss  the  events  of  the  last 
eight  months.  For  many  years  he  has  believed  this 
war  to  be  inevitable,  yet  could  never  persuade  an 
Englishman  that  there  was  danger  ahead.  England 
is  now  faced  with  a  great  task.  She  has  tried  in  vain 
by  concessions  and  persuasion  to  conciliate  the  sullen, 
envious,  suspicious  and  uncompromising  Teuton.  A 
time  will  come  when  the  blame  for  those  mistaken 
efforts  must  be  apportioned.  In  any  case,  the  writer 
hopes  that  the  snake  will  never  again  be  taken  into 
England's  bosom. 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  341 

When  the  writer  determined  to  settle  in  Germany 
for  a  time,  he  visited  the  British  Vice-Consul  in 
Geneva,  and  was  astonished  to  find  that  gentleman 
to  be  a  German  —  Herr  Stein.  On  arriving  in 
Nuremberg,  he  found  an  American-German-British 
Vice-Consul,  and  if  readers  will  take  up  "  Whit- 
taker's  Almanack"  (large  edition)  for  1914,  they 
will  find  that  Great  Britain  had  Germans  acting  as 
British  Consuls  throughout  the  German  Empire  and 
outside  it.  Considering  the  rivalry  which  existed  be- 
tween the  two  countries,  it  was  an  imperative  neces- 
sity that  native  Englishmen  should  have  represented 
this  country.  What  England  wanted  was  impartial 
accounts  of  German  feeling  and  national  aims,  as 
well  as  trade  returns,  and  these  could  not  be  obtained 
from  Germans. 

In  19 14  the  British  Consul  in  Nuremberg  died, 
and  several  score  (local  report  said  about  a  hundred) 
German  merchants  scrambled  to  get  the  position. 
They  were  actuated  not  by  any  desire  to  serve  this 
country,  nor  to  earn  money,  for  the  position  was 
honorary.  But  simply  to  obtain  the  title  Herr  Con- 
sul as  a  social  and  business  asset. 

One  of  the  Nuremberg  candidates  was  a  com- 
mercial traveller,  and  his  employers  offered  to  make 
him  a  partner  in  the  firm  (hop  merchants)  if  he  be- 
came British  Consul.     He  was  not  appointed. 

The  late  Consul  (Herr  Ehrenbacher)  was  a  Jew- 
ish hop  merchant,  who  exported  hops  to  these  islands. 


342  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Certain  circles  in  England  have  agitated  for  a  tariff 
on  hops,  because  it  is  alleged  that  the  large  import 
of  hops  from  Nuremberg  is  ruining  English  hop- 
growers.  How  could  Herr  Ehrenbacher  give  im- 
partial reports  on  the  hop  trade  when  those  reports 
might  have  led  to  a  hostile  tariff  against  his  own 
business?  This  instance  might  be  multiplied  many- 
times,  but  it  will  suffice  to  prove  that  our  Consular 
system  in  Germany  has  been  useless,  possibly  per- 
nicious. 

At  home,  Germans  have  taught  in  our  naval  and 
military  colleges,  Germans  have  examined  candidates 
for  both  services,  Germans  have  taught  in  our  uni- 
versities and  schools,  Germans  have  held  posts  in  our 
government  and  other  public  departments;  in  fact, 
the  German  is  ubiquitous  in  English  life.  They  can 
and  should  be  replaced  by  qualified  Englishmen.  In- 
stead of  maudlin  internationalism,  England  must  cul- 
tivate nationalism,  or  the  present  generation  is  un- 
worthy of  their  splendid  heritage. 

Germany  has  returned  our  fair-dealing  and 
friendly  overtures  with  low  cunning,  brute  force,  and 
hate.  The  hate  is  natural,  because  the  two  nations 
stand  for  opposite  ideals,  and  if  both  be  honest, 
neither  could  love  the  other.  Germany  has  pro- 
claimed to  the  world  her  love  for  peace,  but  the  Teu- 
tonic conception  of  peace  is  to  be  allowed  to  do  what 
Germany  likes,  i.e.,  to  imitate  on  an  international 
scale  the  doings  of  robber  knights.     Her  Kultur  is 


THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY  343 

at  best  merely  the  universal  rule  of  the  drill-sergeant. 

England  has  sought  peace  and  been  surprised  by 
war,  but  the  writer  believes  that  she  has  right,  jus- 
tice and  the  spirit  of  progress  on  her  side;  yet  these 
alone  cannot  win  the  war.  The  writer  Is  convinced 
from  his  knowledge  of  Germany,  that  It  will  be  neces- 
sary for  England  to  use  her  entire  strength  if  she 
desires  to  gain  a  decisive  victory. 

The  present  war  is  the  result  not  only  of  con- 
flicting material  interests,  but  it  is  the  clash  of  two 
great  systems  —  Kultur  and  culture.  England  is 
fighting  for  popular  government  against  autocracy, 
English  ideals  of  justice,  English  homes,  and  the  ex- 
istence of  the  British  Empire.  It  is  a  splendid  stake, 
and  a  nation  worthy  of  such  a  heritage  should  be 
inspired  by  a  national  enthusiasm — **  to  win  off  her 
own  bat." 

Allies  are  welcome,  but  future  generations  of 
Britons  must  be  able  to  say:  "Our  forefathers 
built  up  their  Empire,  defended  it  against  German 
aggression,  and  handed  it  down  to  us  by  their  own 
might."  Therefore,  let  England  rely  now  on  her- 
self and  not  on  another  nation's  steam-roller.  This 
is  a  war  against  a  nation  of  highly-trained,  drilled, 
human  tigers,  whose  motto  is  saigner  a  blanc,  whose 
chivalry  and  mercy  are  illustrated  by  fiendish  laughter 
at  the  drowning  struggles  of  non-combatant  victims. 
If  Germany  is  victorious  her  methods  and  principles 
will  have  overthrown  all  the  humane  ideals  which 


344  THE  SOUL  OF  GERMANY 

Christianity  has  taken  nearly  twenty  centuries  to 
evolve.  It  is  England^s  mission  to  prevent  that  catas- 
trophe and  at  the  same  time  vindicate  among  nations 
the  principles  which  she  first  taught  to  individuals  — 
the  traditions  of  fair-play. 


APPENDIX  I 

CRIME   IN  THE   GERMAN  ARMY  AND   NAVY 

THE  standing  army  In  1913  consisted  of  790,778  offi- 
cers and  men;  in  the  navy  there  were  66,5CX)  officers 
and  men,  making  a  total  for  the  two  services  of  857,278 
men  under  arms.  Germany  possesses  a  special  penal  code 
for  her  army  and  navy. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  provisions  of  the  code. 
Par.  124:  assaulting  a  superior,  not  less  than  three  years' 
imprisonment;  if  the  assault  is  committed  with  any  kind  of 
weapon,  the  minimum  punishment  is  five  years.  Par.  100: 
for  inciting  to  insubordination,  not  less  than  five  years*  im- 
prisonment. Par.  69  punishes  desertion  with  six  months'  to 
two  years'  imprisonment.  Par.  121  forbids  soldiers  to  be 
treated  otherwise  than  according  to  the  regulations;  an 
offence  against  this  law  is  punishable  by  imprisonment  up 
to  two  years.  For  accepting  presents,  borrowing  from  in- 
feriors, N.C.O.'s  may  be  condemned  to  arrest  or  imprison- 
ment up  to  two  years.  Par.  94  states  that  he  who  refuses 
to  obey,  or  shows  his  unwillingness  to  obey  by  word  or  ges- 
ture or  any  action  whatsoever,  will  be  punished  with  im- 
prisonment up  to  three  years.  The  possible  sentence  for 
self -mutilation  (par.  81),  in  order  to  escape  service  in  the 
army  or  navy,  is,  minimum  one,  maximum  five  years.  Per- 
sons subject  to  military  discipline  who  marry  without  the 
commanding  officer's  consent  are  liable  (par.  150)  to  three 
months'  fortress,  in  addition  to  which  officers  may  be  dis- 
missed the  service.     Illtreating  soldiers  or  inferiors  is  pun- 

345 


346  APPENDIX 

Ishable  with  one  week's  arrest  up  to  two  years'  Imprisonment. 

The  peace  strength  of  the  German  Army  is:  infantry, 
515,216;  cavalry,  85,593;  artillery,  126,042;  pioneers,  24,- 
010;  railway  corps,  6,014;  telegraph  corps,  6,835;  airship 
and  flight  department,  5,015;  various,  1,018;  train  (heavy 
artillery),  11,597;  special  service,  3,825;  non-regimental 
officers  (General  Staff,  etc.),  5,55i.  The  entire  officers 
corps  consists  of  30,253  men,  excluding  reserve  officers. 

In  1903  the  German  budget  included  thirty-three  million 
pounds  sterling  for  the  army,  or  lis.  3d.  per  head  of  the 
entire  population.  In  19 12  the  amount  was  forty-seven  and 
a  half  millions,  or  14s.  3d.  per  head.  The  English  figures 
for  the  same  years  are:  thirty-two  millions,  or  15s.  3d.  per 
head,  and  twenty-eight  and  two-fifths  millions,  or  12s.  8d. 
per  head. 


MILITARY   OFFENCES 

Total  sen- 

Without leave  Disrespectful 

Disobe- 

tenced 

Desertion         of  absence         behaviour 

dience 

1911 

16,691 

647                    1,669                  892 

1,803 

I9I2 

17,045 

748                    1,783                  821 

1,861 

Insulting  Resisting  Assaults  on           Offences  Insulting 

superiors  authority  superiors     against  sentries  inferiors 

1911  213                 91  88  45                    167 

1912  220                105  86  69                    184 

Illtreating  inferiors  Breaches  of  discipline  by  sentries 

1911  359  95 

1912  306  96 

OFFENCES    AGAINST   THE    CIVIL    CODE 

Breaches  of  Rapes,  etc.  Insults  Duelling  Malicious  Theft 

public  order  wounding 

1911  149                  76  293            76                1,310  435 

1912  173                  75  272            75                1,226  428 


APPENDIX  34.7 


Fraud,  embezzlement  and  forgery 

Damage  to  property 

X9II 

508 

112 

I9I2 

586 

119 

The  author  contends  that  these  statistics  do  not  support 
the  hypothesis  that  militarism  has  been  the  main  fount  of 
crime  in  the  Fatherland.  Deducting  100,000  as  represent- 
ing the  educated  classes  (one-year  men  and  officers),  we 
have  the  remainder  of  750,000  men  from  the  German  masses. 
Their  offences  during  one  year  are  by  no  means  a  bad  record. 


APPENDIX  II 

CRIME   UNDER  KULTUR  AND   CULTURE 

THE  comparison  between  England  and  Germany's  crime 
statistics  is  not  made  in  any  pharisaical  spirit.  But  it 
is  of  interest  in  view  of  the  fact  that  in  the  country  where" 
materialism,  and  its  handmaiden,  Social  Democracy,  have 
flourished,  we  find  an  appalling  number  of  brutal  crimes 
against  the  individual  and  his  property. 

In  order  to  anticipate  a  possible  objection,  it  may  be  con- 
ceded at  once  that  intemperance  is  more  widespread  in 
England  than  Germany.  Germany's  consumption  of  alco- 
hol is  much  smaller  than  the  amount  consumed  in  the  British 
Isles,  where  spirits  (whisky,  brandy,  etc.)  are  drunk  in 
vastly  greater  quantities  than  Schnaps  in  the  Fatherland. 

The  author's  frank  opinion  is  that  whatever  ideals  of 
life,  whatever  feelings  of  responsibility  to  God  and  man, 
existed  in  the  German  masses  fifty  years  ago,  have  been 
undermined  and  overthrown  by  the  pernicious  teachings  of 
Bebel,  Marx,  Singer,  Engel,  Siidekum,  Liebknecht,  Heine, 
and  the  remaining  Jews  and  Gentiles  who  have  exploited 
the  innate  envy  of  the  German  working  classes.  These 
leaders  have  destroyed  what  ideals  and  honourable  stand- 
ards formerly  existed,  and  have  not  replaced  them  by 
others,  but  in  their  place  they  have  inoculated  the  multi- 
tude with  atheism  and  class  hatred.  The  following  figures 
give  the  yearly  average  for  the  two  countries  over  a  period 
of  ten  years: 

348 


APPENDIX  349 

GERMANY  ENGLAND 

X897-1907  1900-1910 

Malicious  and  feloniously  wounding     .  172,153  1,262 

Murders 350  97 

Rapes 9»38i  216 

Incest 573  56 

Unnatural    crimes 841  290 

Illegitimate   children 178,115  37)04i 

Divorce  petitions 20,340  965 

Malicious  damage  to  property     .      .     .     25,759  358 

Arson 610  278 

In  comparing  the  two  sets  of  figures  it  must  not  be  over- 
looked that  the  population  of  Germany  is  roughly  one-third 
greater  than  that  of  England.  The  English  statistics  are 
taken  from  the  publications  of  the  Home  Office;  German 
statistics  may  be  found  in  the  publications  of  the  Imperial 
Statistic  Office,  Berlin,  1908. 


INDEX 


t.--^OLiTiON  of  serfdom  in  Ger- 
many, 35,  86.  . 

Advice  to  Free  Church  Mmis- 
ters,    330. 

Agitation  for  German  naval  ex- 
pansion,   298    et    seq. 

Agreement  between  England 
and  Germany,   314,   320. 

Aims,     German    national,    279, 

281,  301,  324.    ^  ,      ,       ^ 
/^ of  German  Schools,  18,  21, 

35-6. 

of  Universities,  41. 

Americans   in    Germany,   261. 
Angell,  Norman,  103-41  310- 
Anti-Treitschke,  177,  i9i- 
Apostle  of  Germanism,  185,  187. 
Arbitration,  201-2,   314,   337    ^' 

seq.  .  ^  , 

Armaments,    increased,    replace 

war,  178,   180,   334- 

Army,   German,    106   et  seq. 

,  crime  in,  345-7  et  seq. 

Attitude  of  England  to  Ger- 
many, 258,   325,   341- 

Attitude  of  Germany  to  Eng- 
land, 281,   306,  310,   314.  344- 

Author's  German  experience,  ix. 
et  seq. 

Bernhardi,  General  von,  334- 

Biography   of    the   Kaiser,   282, 

320. 
Boer   War,    189-190. 

,  incident  during,  330. 

British     Consuls     in     Germany, 

248-9.   340-341- 
Brutality     of     German     nation, 
y      236-240. 
♦r    Brutality  among  students,  53-6. 
■ in  the  German  army,  115- 

122. 


(^Bullies,  student,  68-9. 

Bullying,  German,  259,  281,  34i' 

Chamberlain,  Mr.  Joseph,  309- 

10,   325- 
(^Character,  German,  88,  90,  102, 

134,  286,  342. 
^  Character  training,  29-31. 
Churches,  Free,  63,  328  et  seq., 

I      337' 

f- ,   German,   60  et  seq.,  328. 

Churchill,    Mr.    Winston,    248, 

258,   317,  322-3,   326. 
Classification    of    German,    sol- 
diers,  109. 
Clubs,  students'.  48-59,  68. 
Crime   among  the  young,  239. 

in  England  and  Germany, 

348-9. 

in  Germany,  232  et  seq. 

in      German     Army     and 

Navy,  345-7. 

Cologne   Gazette,  192,  210. 

Conception,  German,  of  Eng- 
land, 32-3. 

Confidence  trick,  244-261. 

Contempt  for  human  feelings, 
96. 

Contradictions,   313. 

Contrast  of  English  and  Ger- 
man crime  statistics,   348-9- 

Conscription,    106. 

Corps,  students',  vide  Clubs. 

Courts-martial,  122-3,  127,  130. 

Crown  Prince  of  Germany,  131, 
221,  235,   273. 

Delbruck,  Professor,  on  arbi- 
tration, 313. 

,  on  England,    308-9,    315- 

16. 

,  on  English  hate,  300. 


351 


352 


INDEX 


Delbriick,  Professor,  on  German 

navy,  313-14,  3i6. 

1  on  German  officers,  131. 

,  on  Poland,    198. 

,  on  Social  Democrats,  307- 

8. 

,  on  war,  332-5. 

I     Delusion,   the   Great,   338. 

Democrats,  Social,  2,  18,  24,  74- 

8s,    116-117,   161,    174,   233-5, 

275-6,    3.37,    348. 
Denunziation        (Tale-telling), 

27-8,  120. 
Deserters,  107. 
^Discipline,   21,  25,   108,   114-15, 

/      }^^' 

^  Divine  right  of  kings,  266-272. 

Divorce,   12,  231-2. 

Dowry,  marriage,  9-n. 

Duelling,    53-6. 

Duplicity,   German,   191-3,  285, 

330. 

[   Education  of  boys,  17  ei  seg. 

•  of  girls,  3-5. 

^  Egoism,    137-143. 
England,  cowardly,   166,   178. 
England's  attitude  to  Germany, 

258,  325,  340. 
English  envy  of  Germany,  3cx), 

312,    324. 
Expansion,  German,  258-60,  266, 

301. 


J 


Fleet,  German,  278-283,  289  et 

seq. 

ree  Churches,  328  et  seq.,  337. 
Freedom  of  the  Press,  125. 
of  speech,  255. 

of  the  seas,  324. 

Friendship,   Anglo-German,    32, 

66,   94-5,   309,   315,   320,   326, 

336. 
Funeral  rites,  113. 


German    brutality,    53-6,    115- 
122,  236-240. 

/ bullying,  259,  282,  342. 

{/    German  character,   88,  90,   102, 
134,  286,  342. 
Churches,  6z  et  seq.,  328. 


German  envy,  203. 

expansion,  258-60,  266,  301. 

homes,  2,  12-16. 

manners,  89,  95. 

schools,  17  et  seq. 

unity,  156,  162. 

universities,   37   et  seq. 

Germans  in  England,  loi,   341. 

sing       English       National 

Anthem,  331. 

Germany,  most  religious  coun- 
try, 330. 

Germany's  attitude  to  England, 
281,   306,    310,   314,   341. 

"  Goose-step,"  125. 

Hague  Conferences,  339-40. 
Hardie,   Mr.  Keir,   75,   83,   176, 

232,  252,  268. 
Hatred  for  England,  21-3,  123, 

164,  263. 
Herrenmoral,      Nietzsche's,      5, 

loo-ioi,  150. 
Home  life,  15. 
Homes,  German,  2,  12-16. 
Humanity  in  warfare,   189-190. 

Idea,  the  German,  105. 
Ignorance  of  the  pacifists,  335. 
Illtreatment    of    soldiers,     115- 

122. 
Immorality,  98-102,  220. 
Individual,  the,  138  et  seq. 
Influence  of  religion,  60-1. 
Ingratitude,   German,   101. 
Instruction,   religious,  22-3. 

about  England,  31-3. 

Insults,   91-3. 

Iron    Cross,    244,    249. 

Jews,  83,  223,  348. 
Joy  of  destruction,  298. 
Junker  class,  276-7. 

Kaiser  Wilhelm  II.,  32-3,  51. 

66,  256,  262  et  seq. 
Kant,  Immanuel,  137. 
Kultur,  47,  224  et  seq.,  332,  343, 

Lasson,  Professor,  on  Kultur, 
224-6. 


INDEX 


Latent  war,   193. 
League,  German  Navy,   304-7. 
Liberty  in    Germany,   268-9. 
Life  in  restaurants,   15-16,   iii. 
Lotteries,   Church,   71-3. 

Macdonald,    Mr.    Ramsay,    75, 

83,  232,  252,  268. 
Malicious   wounding,   236. 
Manchester  School,   180. 
/Planners,   German,   89,  95. 
/^Marriage  in  Germany,  6,  8-12, 

38. 
M.  P.'s,  English,   in   Germany, 

251-2. 
Michaelis,   Dr.   Paul,   227,   241, 

Militarism,   popularity   of,    106, 

132-3,  334. 
Military  courts,  122-3,  128,  131. 

penal  code,  345. 

Minister  for  Church  and  School 

Affairs,  62-4,  70,  72. 
Mobilization   of   German   army, 

272-3. 
Money,    Mr.    Chiozza,   241. 
Murder    without    passion,    183, 

190,  203. 

Navy  League,   German,   304-7. 

literature,  German,  299  et 

seq.,  305. 

"  Nauticus'    Naval    Year-Book," 

311-12. 
Nietzsche,  Friedrich,   143-7. 

,  on  war,  151. 

Nietzsche's  Herrenmoral,  5,  100, 

loi,  150. 

influence,  97,  153,  169-170. 

superman,  148  et  seq. 

teachings,  148-152. 

^-^Oath  for  officials,  36,  46-7,  66. 
Officers  in   German   army,   123- 

131. 

of  the  reserve,  113. 

Official  secrets,  36,  120. 
Oppression  of  Poland,  177,  197- 

200. 

Pacifists,  201-3,  317,  335  ^^  ^eq. 


Palmerston,  Lord,  and  German 

flag,  289,  293,  324. 
Parade  step,  125. 
Parsons,  political,  65-6. 
Parties  in  the  Reichstag,  80. 
/;^Pastors    (Pfarrer),  65-7,  69. 
Peace,  201,  335  et  seq. 
Peace-Pipe-Smokers,   201. 
Peasant  homes,   12. 
Philosophy  of  egoism,  137-143. 
Piety,   70. 

Poland,    177,    197-200. 
Popularity    of    militarism,    106, 

132-3,    334- 
Press,    German,   208-223. 

gag,  214. 

Professors,    influence    of,    42-6. 

limitations,  45-8,   157. 

Property,    damage   to,    240. 

♦^Prussian   character,    104,   228-9, 
283. 
Punishment,  corporal,  25-6. 

in  schools,  73-4. 

Quarrels,    religious,    22. 
Quarrelsome     nature     of     Ger- 
mans, 13,  92,  134-7. 

Rapes  in  peace  time,  231. 

Reichstag,  172-4,  247. 

Religion  in  Germany,  60  ef  seq. 

in  schools,  73-4. 

,  its  influence,  60-1. 

Religious  instruction,  22-4,  33-4. 

quarrels,  22. 

Responsibility  for  war,  177,  274, 

332. 
Restaurants,   15-16,   in. 
Reventlow,  Count,  276-280,  297- 

8,   309-ro,   319-20,   339. 
Roberts,    Elmer     (quoted),    8i, 

321. 

Schools,  elementary,  18-23. 

,  girls',  3-4. 

,  secondary,    24-36. 

Schoolmasters,  29-30,  36. 
^'Secret  societies  in  schools,  34-5. 
Sensitiveness,    morbid,    of    Ger- 
mans, 91-2,  102,  186-7. 
Shaw,  Mr.  Bernard,  252-3,  268. 


354 


INDEX 


Simplicissimus,  190,  221-3. 
Social  Democrats,  2,  18,  24,  75- 

85,    H6-117,    161,    174,   233-5, 
^   275-6,  337,  348. 
Social    life,   93-4. 
Socialists,  English,  75,  233,  252- 

5,    336. 
Societies,  secret,  in  schools,  34-5. 
Soldiers,   full-time,    113-121. 

one-year,  109  et  seq. 

Spies,  101,   192-4. 

Sport,  21-22,  28-29. 
Stirner,    Max,    138-141. 
Students    in    universities,    38    et 
seq. 

manners,  57-9. 

of   divinity,   67-70. 

societies,  48  et  seq. 

Suffrage,  German,  173,  247. 
Suicides,  240. 

in  German  army,  121. 

Superman,    Nietzsche's,     148    et 

seq. 
Swelled-head,  139,  266. 
System,  English  versus  German, 

168,  348. 


Tale-telling,  27-8,  120. 
Tirpitz,  von,  279-80. 
Titles,  German  love  of,  7,  245- 
50. 


Treaties  not  binding,  194-6. 
Treitschke,   Heinrich  von,   153- 

163. 
Treitschke  on  armaments,   179- 

i8o. 

on  England,   165-6,  203-6. 

on  Holland,    196-7. 

on  small   States,   158,  179. 

on  treaties,    193-5. 

on  Turkey,  206. 

Treitschke's    influence,    96,    162, 

167,   169-170. 

message,    162. 

State,    170-2. 

Types  of  German  schools,  24. 


t-^ 


Unity,  German,  156,  162,  290. 
Universal    service,    106-9. 
Universities,  German,  37  et  seq. 

Volunteers,  one-year,   109-113. 

War,  151,  182-4,  331   ^t  seq. 
War,  Boer,  189-190. 

incident   during,    30. 

Who  pays  for  armaments,  337. 
Women,  position  of  German,  5- 

6. 
World  Empire,  German,  281-2. 
Wounding  malicious,  236. 

Young,  crime  among  the,  239. 


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